Patients suffer as DH Bandipora dental section waits for fresh stock

Bandipora, Dec 4: The dental section of District Hospital (DH) Bandipora has been facing a shortage of key supplies and equipment for nearly a month, affecting crucial procedures such as root canals and dental scaling.

Patients visiting the dental OPD said they are repeatedly asked to return after several days, but the situation remains unchanged.

Auqib Ahmad, a resident, said he has visited the hospital three times over the past week to get treatment for his spouse, but has been turned away each time.

Doctors said the shortage of essential items, including hypochlorite, resin peroxide and gutta-percha, has persisted despite raising a requisition as soon as the stock was exhausted. While the hospital recently received dental supplies through Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL), materials required specifically for root canals were missing.

“Once the stock finishes, we raise a requisition which goes from the hospital to the CMO, then the Directorate, and only then do we receive supplies,” a doctor told Greater Kashmir. “It has been almost a month now. We were told to wait as the root canal kit didn’t arrive through the regular supply chain, and is now being procured through GeM. We were assured it may take another day or two.”

Doctors also said a scaler machine developed a snag recently, and they have requested its replacement.

However, Medical Superintendent DH Bandipora Dr Mukhtar said the shortage is recent. “It has been five to seven days since the material was exhausted. We have ordered the items, and they will arrive soon,” he said, adding that increased patient load may have led to faster depletion of stock.

Another official attributed the delay to procedural approvals, including the requirement of obtaining an NOC from the government to procure material through the Government e-Marketplace. He said it may take at least five to ten more days for the supplies to be restored.