Dimapur, Nov 6 (MExN): The Nagaland branch of Indian Dental Association has forwarded a representation to the Government of Nagaland charting various demands which include creation of more posts of dental surgeons, financial assistance to help over-aged candidates set up business and increased promotion avenues for dental surgeons.
The representation highlighted that there are more than 80 dental graduates in Nagaland out of which only 17 are in the state services while over 65 dental surgeons are unemployed.
As per National Oral Health Policy, in every 10,000 population there should be one dental surgeon whereas in Nagaland, the dentist-to-population ration is 1 to 1, 20,000, stated the representation signed by Dr Imna Longchar, President and Dr K Alex Kithan, Honorary Secretary and addressed to the Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland. “Moreover, as per the guideline of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, an oral health care delivery system should be set up down to the CHC level. Therefore the association pray for creation of more post of dental surgeons in the state to meet the demands of oral healthcare system particularly in rural areas” it appealed.
The association also apprised the government that due to non-requisition of dental surgeon post in the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) by the department for the last 10 years (1996-2006), “at least 5-10 professionals” are over-aged and it is “best known fact that Nagas are mostly economically weak society for which to set up dental clinic is very costly matter.”
For this matter, the department could “help” the over-aged candidates with some financial assistance to set up their business through soft loan/subsidized loans or from the Chief Minster’s Corpus Fund, as was done for the veterinary department, the association appealed.
The dentists’ state branch also viewed seriously the matter that while their MBBS counterparts were given promotions up to 2001, NPSC cadres, dental surgeons were “denied promotion 1991 NPSC cadres who are senior by 10 years”. “Therefore it is prayed that this discrimination should be removed by giving them grade promotion if not officiating promotion for peaceful co-existence of the department” the representation stated.
The branch further called attention of the government that as per constitution of IDA, the head office of the state branch shall be located where the Honorary Secretary resides and for this matter it requested that “whenever the Honorary Secretary happens to be state government employed he or she may be allowed to work in the same place of posting till the tenure is over for the smooth functioning of the state branch”.
