Chennai: Governor Banwarilal Purohit today stressed for greater spread of dentists in rural areas. Citing WHO report, he said the ideal dentist-population ratio is 1:7,500.
There are about 300 dental colleges in India and nearly 25,000 graduates pass out every year. But most of them settle down in the urban areas and hence the dentist population ratio in India’s urban areas is about 1:10,000 while it is 1:1,50,000 in the rural areas. It is necessary to underline the point that there needs to be greater spread of doctors to the rural areas, he said.
He was speaking after inaugurating the fourth international conference and exhibition in dental and oral health for world dental and oral health congress organised by World Dental Council and Graviton International.
Conferences such as these will enthuse more youngsters to pursue dentistry as an occupation, the Governor said.
“This is the first conference of the World Dental and Oral Health Congress taking place outside the United Kingdom. The conferences have helped to provide recognition to dentists who have excelled in the profession and also provide an opportunity for dentists to interact and learn about the latest advances in the field,” Banwarilal said.
He further noted that Tamilnadu enjoys the pride of having setup the first dental college in the country. It was the first State to enact the Public Health Act. The Government General Hospital and the Government Eye Hospital in Chennai are among the oldest in Asia. Private sector involvement in the establishment of hospitals for medical treatment has been in existence in Tamilnadu for more than 100 years. Today, the State enjoys an excellent network of hospitals and colleges all over the State making it one of the finest locations for medical diagnosis and treatment in the eastern part of the globe, he said.
The Governor said there is also a need to emphasise on dental awareness programmes. Maintenance of standardised patient data and creation of dental software that are uniformly put to use all over the country. These are simple steps that could help in better care and follow up vis-a-vis patients afflicted with dental problems, he said.
| SHOWERING HONOURS |
| At the inaugural function, some of outstanding medical professionals were honoured. They include the following: 1. Dr S M Balaji, a recipient of the ‘Dr BC Roy Award’ and is a leading international consultant for maxillofacial, cleft lip and palate surgery 2. Dr Shovendu Jha, a renowned dentist with enormous experience, has taught around 2,500 students and treated 3.5 lakh patients. 3. Dr Johnson Raja is known for his pioneering efforts in the field of zygomatic implantology. 4. Dr Sajid Hussain, who works in the USA, is actively involved in community dental services and oral health awareness education. |