Pay heed to oral health: Vice-President Pun

Kathmandu, March 20, Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun has urged the government to incorporate the issues of oral health in the national health policy.
During a programme organized by Nepal Dental Association on the occasion of the World Oral Health Day in the capital city on Monday, Vice-President Pun said the oral health service should be reached to the rural areas.
“Nepal’s dental health service is very good. So, the government needs to create atmosphere conducive to take the dental surgeons and dentists in the primary health centres across the country,” he underscored.
On the occasion, Minister for Science and Technology Prem Bahadur Singh said oral health was an important health issue in Nepal.
Chief of Dental Department at Nepal Medical Association, Dr Prakash Budhathoki, said although 5,000 dentists are required in Nepal, there are only 2,000; which has deprived many people of dental health service.
Similarly, Chairman of Dental Association, Dr Santoshman Rajbhandari, one of the reasons behind fatal disease is poor oral health.
Association General Secretary, Dr Manoj Humagain, said that central dental hospital was necessary for dental treatment and oral health.

Moreover, dentist Dr Subas Ghimire said that although the government has invested for the control and treatment of different diseases taking it seriously, it has failed to keep dental health in priority. One can easily know that whether or not he/she is suffering from different diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer while checking oral health, said Dr Ghimire.

Every Nepali has been suffering from any kind of oral health problem. Nepal produces 300 dentists every year from 12 dental colleges. The number would be doubled from 2017, according to the Association.