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| Sunday, 6 April 2003 |
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Govt. Dental Service Organisation accuses Health Ministry BY NEOMI KODIKARA The Organisation for the Protection of Government Dental Service (OPGDS), which is in the process of organising a series of demonstrations to highlight the mismanagement of the dental service, has accused the Ministry of Health of contributing towards the increase in oral cancer and other dental problems, through inefficient administration and a lethargic approach to dental care. Administrative inefficiency according to the OPGDS, has left the country with an acute shortage of dentists in the State sector despite the availability of dentists graduated from the University. At present the ratio of dental surgeons to the population is 1:20 000 with certain districts reporting a 1:100 000 ratio. This is contrary to the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation that the country employ at least 3000 dental surgeons. At present there are only 850 dentists employed in the State health sector and resultantly, no dentists have been posted to remote villages in areas like Monaragala, Bibile and Ampara. The acute shortage of dentists has also led to the closure of more than 50 dental clinics and vacancies in nearly 200. A Ministry spokesman when asked about the shortage of dentists especially in remote areas, admitted that a relative shortage prevailed but attributed it to dental surgeons getting transfers to convenient areas through political influences. Convener for the OPGDS Dr. N.T. Gamage said that repeated requests made to the Ministry to take necessary steps to solve the unemployment problem of state qualified dentists has so far fallen on deaf ears."The unfortunate situation it created is quite evident in the National Health Survey 1994/1995," he said. * Survey statistics reveal that while 76.42 per cent of children below age six have been affected by dental caries, only 3.31 per cent have obtained treatment for it. * A significant number of 1500-2000 oral cancer patients are reported annually. * Of the adults in the age group of 35-44 who have been affected by dental caries, only 11.33 per cent have taken treatment. * About 41.21 per cent of children and 52.5 per cent of adults in the age group of 35-44 have teeth that have been affected so badly they need to be removed, but they live with these carious teeth making themselves vulnerable to various oral diseases. * About 28.1 in the age group of 35- 44 and 36.9 per cent in the age group of 65-74 are in need of Prosthetic treatment. * Ninety per cent of the entire population of all age groups suffer from numerous stages of periodontal diseases and all of them require some sort of treatment depending on the intensity of the disease. * More than 10 per cent of children in the 12-15 age-group require orthodontic treatment, but there are only five Consultant Orthodontists in the Health Department to provide such treatment. * Even though growing children should be examined by a dental surgeon at least twice a year, the percentages of such children who have been examined for dental and oral health are: 48.2 per cent among 6 year olds; 34.1 per cent among 12 year olds; 33.3 per cent among 15 year olds. Survey reports have also confirmed that failure to examine the oral health of schoolchildren at least twice a year make them vulnerable to various oral diseases in later years. Dr. Gamage pointed out that when there is a shortage of dental surgeons and sufficient dental clinics, it is the poor who suffer mostly as the majority of the patients obtain oral health services from dental clinics in the State hospitals are the poor. He accused the authorities of continuing to complicate the problem by improper planning instead of finding solutions. "Initially, the Government decided to give permanent employment to 68 dental surgeons who qualified in 2000. But the Treasury Circular No. 16, dated 1.10.2002 advised the department to employ them on contract basis," he explained. The OPGDS which has formed an umbrella association with the Government Dental Surgeons' Association Parents' Organisation for the Protection of Government Dental Service Dental Faculty Students' Union and Organisation of Dental Surgeons Seeking Government Appointments, are planning a series of protest campaigns and if the demands are not met they have threatened an islandwide strike with the support of the GMOA. The organisation demands that 150-200 vacancies in government hospitals be filled immediately. Permanent employment be given to four batches of dental surgeons who passed out between 2000 and 2003, increase the cadre to enable permanent employment for 75 dental surgeons annually. At present there are over 300 qualified graduates awaiting appointments. Another 450 dental students who are now studying are likely to face the same problem. The last batch to be employed by the Government service was in 2000. Chandima Weerasinghe, a spokesman for the Dental Faculty Students' Union said that they had to waste three years waiting to be selected to the university and another three years after being qualified to be recruited. "This young exuberance can easily be harnessed fruitfully in raising the standards of the oral health of the nation but it has been wasted," he said. Another 31-year-old dental surgeon seeking Government appointment said that as employment was delayed he had to give tuition for his existence. "I could not wait further, seeing my parents' suffering to provide for us. After having waited enough for government employment I had to choose this, and there are some of my friends who even go for odd jobs," he said. Imesh Prathapasighe (32) another surgeon awaiting recruitment said that the government spends nearly Rs. 2,000,000 to produce a single dental graduate which is the highest amount spent for an undergraduate, but the community is hardly benefitted by it. "You need about Rs. 0.5 million to set up a private dental clinic, which we can't afford. It is not easy to find employment under a senior surgeon as they are reluctant to take us until our employment problem is solved." Mahil (27) a final year student said that they had to study under stress and undergo mental agony as there was no guarantee of employment in the future. Dr. K. Jayatilake Deputy Director General (Dental Services) of the Health Department attributed the oral health problem to inattentiveness and lack of comprehension among Lankans about oral and dental diseases. |
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