PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department is yet to recruit dental surgeons against more than 600 posts approved by the then chief minister four years ago.

Of the total 852 new posts sanctioned four years ago, 200 doctors have been employed so far, according to sources.

In June, 2017, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had approved a summary to recruit 852 dental surgeons in the public sector hospitals. The summary moved by health department had pointed out that the existing 317 dentists in the province weren’t sufficient to cater to the needs of patients.

The department said that one dentist was required for 25,000 people, therefore, the province needed a total of 1,184 dental surgeons. The government agreed to appoint the dental surgeons to fill the gap in a phase-wise manner.

Health Secretary Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah, when contacted, said that he would look into the matter.

PDA chief says dentistry has been ignored in health reforms

Another senior health official said that recruitment of doctors was an ongoing process and they were being appointed on vacant post accordingly.

The new positions included 233 in BPS-17, 380 in BPS-18, 206 in BPS-19 and 33 in BPS-10. According to the summary, 270 posts were to be created in 2017, 271 in 2018, 154 in 2019 and 157 in 2020.

However, so far 200 dental surgeons have been appointed and the remaining 652 positions lie vacant.

Dr Amir Taj Khan, president of Provincial Doctors Association, said he had sent a request to the health department to appoint dental surgeons on the posts sanctioned four year ago.

“The government has totally ignored Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in its health reforms process as opposed to recruitment of a lot of MBBS. This has severely disappointed dental surgeons, who have been waiting for jobs for the last several years,” he said.

The PDA chief said that field of dentistry expanded from simple tooth restoration and extraction to several highly specialised clinical disciplines. He said that patients needed all kinds of specialists in the public hospitals.

“We have several specialists in oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, operative dentistry, prosthodontics, oral medicines, periodontology and paedodontics but they are weighing options to move abroad in search of jobs,” he said.

Dr Amir said that with the enhanced public awareness, the demand for dental surgeons had swelled.

“This is the need of the day to provide dental healthcare at doorsteps to people of this province,” he added.

According to the data of District Health Information System, more than 250,000 people benefit from the dental services in first level healthcare facilities, 80,000 in secondary healthcare facilities and more than 70,000 people benefit from these services in tertiary care hospitals.

“With the appointment of dental surgeons on the remaining sanctioned positions, people in tribal and settled districts will receive services. The ongoing Covid-19 has already triggered shortage of doctors worldwide,” he said.

The PDA chief said that a large number of jobless dental surgeons could fill the space and overcome the shortage of doctors by performing duty with Covid-19 patients in collaboration with ENT surgeons as both had expertise and training in head and neck anatomy.

He said that deployment of dental surgeons could help to lessen burden on general health system that was under pressure due to Covid-19.

“We hope that the government will consider our genuine request on priority basis in the best interest of public and health system,” he added.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2021