Unemployed dental surgeons appeal CM Omar for urgent creation of posts

Srinagar, Dec 19: The Dental Surgeons Association of Jammu and Kashmir (DSAJK) today made an appeal to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, seeking urgent intervention to address the acute unemployment crisis among dental surgeons in the region.

In an open letter, members of the association highlighted the plight of over 7000 qualified dental surgeons who have been left jobless due to the absence of government recruitment since 2008.

The association said that the prolonged neglect had not only affected their careers but also inflicted profound mental distress and social stigma upon them.

“It is shameful that 16 years have passed without any recruitment for dental surgeons in the government sector. Our professional identities have been shattered, and many of us silently endure depression,” the letter read.

The DSAJK also underlined the public health implications of the government’s inaction, pointing out that the lack of dental surgeons in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) had left a significant portion of the population without access to safe and affordable dental care.

The association cited alarming statistics, including a high prevalence of oral diseases like tooth decay, gum infections, and oral cancer in J&K.

They also flagged the rise of quackery in rural areas, which had led to dangerous consequences like mucormycosis and the spread of blood-borne diseases like Hepatitis C.

“Despite the establishment of 370 new PHCs, none have dental surgeons. This has widened the urban-rural healthcare gap and left vulnerable populations relying on unqualified practitioners,” the association said.