Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 20
Dental practitioners in the state will soon have a separate director under the Department of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW).
This was revealed by Secretary, H&FW, Maongwati Aier IAS on Thursday at the 14th Indian Dental Association Nagaland State Branch (IDANSB), Conference and Annual General Meeting at Nagaland Bamboo Resource Centre, Dimapur.
“Minister (H&FW) has already approved for a new directorship for dental section and only few formalities remain with the finance department,” he said.
He also said that the state would soon have a medical college in Kohima which would produce medical graduates to meet the growing demands of health practitioners in the state. “Out of the 21 health centres in the state only 6 centres have dental doctors,” Maongwati added expressing the need for including dentists in the healthcare establishments.
Maongwati informed that neighbouring Manipur was getting ready to send 15, 000 nurses to Japan as proposed by that country and that Trinidad and Tobago was also seeking trained nurses from northeast India. Talking about Non Practising Allowance for government employed doctors; Maongwati expressed optimism that doctors in government sector were following the norms faithfully. He also appealed government doctors not to interfere but give chance to private practitioners.
The Secretary said that India hosts about 20% of world’s diseases and yet there were only 8% doctors and 1 % laboratory technicians. He said lakhs of medical tourists were visiting India for treatment of various diseases and that the dental section has a huge role in it.
Delivering presidential address, IDANSB President, Dr. Pfukrolo Koza appealed the government to create at least one specialized dental post in each district hospital and one dentist post in each police battalion.
Presenting the status of dental surgeons in the state, Additional Director, H&FW, Dr. N. Savino said out of 150 registered dentists, only 33 were employed with the government while 15 were employed under National Health Mission. He also expressed concern over the service rules which set a promotion ceiling for dental only upto Additional Director. In such a position, Dr.Savino said that the dental practitioners were made to serve under junior MBBS doctors and appealed the authorities to look into the issue.
At the conference venue, trade fair and poster presentations are also going on which will culminate on October 21.
