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Kathmandu Sunday February 17, 2002 Falgun 05, 2058.
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Focus on dental health care
services
RSS
KATHMANDU, Feb 16: Minister for Health Sarat
Singh Bhandari has said that the government wants to provide health services to the people
in an integrated manner by joining hands with the community and the private sector.
Inaugurating the fourth annual conference of
Nepal Dental Association here today, Minister Bhandari disclosed that the government was
going to introduce a special programme in the health sector besides restructuring the
Health Ministry set-up.
He said that several dental colleges have been
established in the private sector and these institutions have started to produce skilled
manpower in the sector following the adoption of liberalization policy after the
restoration of democracy in the country. He also disclosed that a dental council would be
constituted soon to address problems in the dental health sector.
On the occasion, the Health Minister gave away
certificates to the participants of the Promotional Trade Exhibition organised in
connection with the conference.
Director General of the Department of Health
Services Dr. B. D. Chataut said that the Ministry was going to establish a separate dental
unit, a dental council and a national oral health policy to resolve problems in the
context of the dental diseases emerging as a major problem in the country.
Association President Dr. Pravin Mishra pointed
out the need for the government to launch a mass awareness campaign, set up a separate
government dental hospital and make provision for dentists at the district and village
level.
According to him, out of the 80 per cent
patients suffering from oral diseases in Nepal, 20-25 per cent of them require immediate
treatment.
Similarly, he said as 10-15 percent of the
patients admitted to hospitals are dental patients, it would be more effective in
preventing dental diseases if fluoride could be added in the iodized salt itself.
On the occasion, Dr Neil Pande shed light on the
necessity and importance of dental health care services. Besides Nepal, dentists from
India and Malaysia are also taking part in the two-day-meet.
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