The Madras High Court Bench here on Wednesday asked the State Government to explain by November 23 as to why it was not providing adequate dental care facilities to the poor who approached government hospitals, though it was well known that neglecting tooth decay can be life-threatening.
A Division Bench of Justices S. Nagamuthu and M.V. Muralidaran gave the direction on a public interest litigation petition filed on the basis of a recent news report that appeared in The Hindu Tamil highlighting the paucity of dentists and infrastructure at the Department of Dental Surgery at Government Rajaji Hospital here.
Inquiries made by the judges with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon attached to the GRH revealed that there were only four doctors, including her, in the Dental Surgery Department to treat 130-150 outpatients who visited the department every day. It also had just six beds — four for women and two for men — to treat inpatients.
The court was informed that the department had an oral pathologist and a periodontist too but did not have an endodontist, and, therefore, root canal therapy could not be performed on any of the poor patients who had no choice but to approach the only Government Dental College Hospital in Chennai.
The judges were also told that there was no Ceramics Dental Lab at the GRH, the second largest government hospital in the State, though such laboratory was essential to make dental crowns, also known as caps.
Further, the GRH had specialists for only four out of seven disciplines in dentistry.
Wondering how the government could ignore provision of dental care facilities to the poor, the judges asked why had the government not constructed a government dental college hospital in any district but for Chennai though it had granted permission for the establishment of more than 25 private dental colleges.
Replying to it, a Government Advocate said a proposal for establishment of a dental college hospital here was already under the consideration of the State government.
He also sought time till November 23 for submitting a detailed report on the steps taken by the government for providing dental care facilities in government hospitals.
