Reacting to the dismal statistics regarding the oral health of the rural population, the government of India’s second largest state has announced funding of more than Rs870 million (US$15 million) for dental services at low-level health facilities. Among other measures, over 1,000 dental posts are to be created under the programme, the Maharashtra state cabinet decided last week.
The financial injection seems to have come at the right time, since access to oral health services, particularly at district level, has reached a low point in many parts of India. In some areas in the country, the dentist to population ratio is one to a quarter of a million people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Although dental colleges in Maharashtra produce over 1,500 dental graduates each year, three out of four currently live in the state’s larger cities like Mumbai or Pune, making it difficult for people in the countryside to obtain even basic dental treatment.
A timeline for the implementation of the measures has not been given by the state, but there will be an initial replacement of outdated dental equipment like X-ray machines and dental chairs throughout all 50 district hospitals, officials told the Times of India newspaper. In addition, a new state body responsible for oral health issues will be established.
Dental experts from the state publicly commented that although the measures are overdue, the main reason for the lack of dental care is costs. Studies in other states have indicated that the dramatically decreasing number of dental visits is more correlated to lower income instead of lacking manpower, they said. They called on the government to establish dental insurance schemes under the new programme, aimed at the most neglected patient groups, like the elderly.
According to a 2005 survey conducted by the Indian government in collaboration with the WHO, between 50 and 80 per cent of people living in the country suffer from some form of dental disease.
