End of Teether
It takes 3 years for a patient to get an appointment at the government-run
dental hospital
Shweta Shertukde

Sixty-year-old Laxman Deobre has been visiting the Government Dental College
and Hospital, near Chhtrapati Shivaji Terminus for the past four months to
seek dental treatment. Deobre, a Pune-resident, is trying to get a cap or a
pair of artificial teeth fixed. But after four months of delay, all he has
managed is an appointment for the next month.

There are several people like Deobre who have complained about being given
appointments after four or six months, and sometimes even after as one to
three years. The Government Dental College and Hospital's Orthodontics
Department has been treating patients who had registered themselves in 2003.
"I have managed to secure an appointment three years after I asked for one,"
said a patient.

Hospital sources alleged that the patients were called for appointments
three to four years later, via post-card. The Orthodontics Department -
famous for specialising in realignment of teeth - has been without a Head of
the Department, assistant professors and sufficient number of post-graduate
dental doctors. This shortcoming, sources said, is the main reason behind
patients getting late appointments.

Yusuf Sheikh, a resident of Bendi Bazaar, complains, "I had a severe
toothache and the doctor suggested emergency dental treatment. But, I got an
appointment after four months. However, to relieve the pain, I was kept on
medication."

"The fact that a patient gets an appointment after a prolonged period is
horrendous. As we cannot afford the high treatment charges of the private
hospitals, we have to suffer through such avoidable delays," grumbles
Sheikh.

Sources say poor administration is to blame for delays in giving out
appointments. They also blame the administration for the lack of sufficient
staff and proper instruments. For instance, it has been learnt that the
Prosthodentistry Department lacks a ceramic laboratory, sufficient number of
X-ray machines and other dental instruments.

Patients also complain of malfunctions in the radiology department. "It
takes 8-10 days to get X-ray report, as with only one machine there, the
department staff cannot take more than two X-rays a day. Private dental
hospitals on the other hand can accomodate 10-15 patients in a day," said
another patient. The hospital authorities accepted the lacunae prevailing in
the administration. "The situation has occurred due to lack of staff
vis-a-vis the increasing number of patients. We are busy clearing the
backlog. Adequate measures have been taken in consultation with the state
government," said Dr Suresh Meshram, Dean of Government Dental College and
Hospital.

Dr Meshram added that dentistry students refuse to practice at Governmental
Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Government Dental Hospital is in shambles, while Nair Dental
Hospital, the only other government dental hospital here, has with
state-of-the-art infrastructure and treatment facilities.


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