Govt dental hospital runs out of supplies
MUMBAI: The largest governmentrun dental hospital in the state — Government Dental College and Hospital (GDCH), Fort, which has a daily footfall of more than 500 patients — is turning away patients as it is running out of basic material required for dental procedure such as X-ray films .
Doctors said for the last one month, GDCH does not have films for X-ray — the hospital gets more than 70 patients who need an X-ray for their medical examination every day.
“The hospital authority didn’t float the required tender on time so we have run out of films. In cases of trauma or accidents, we need to check if the patient has suffered from any fracture which can be as thin as a hair, which can only be identified with an X-ray,” said a senior doctor from the hospital.
As a result, patients are forced to visit private hospitals and clinics. On Thursday, Sion resident Tushar Mehra, 27, took his twoyear-old son to the hospital after the toddler’s gums started bleeding. He was, however, handed over a slip with a serial number and asked to visit the hospital after a week.
“We get treated at the hospital whenever there is a dental ailment in our family, but this time around, I have been asked to get a prior appointment. Since my son is reeling in pain, I will have to take him to a private dental clinic for treatment,” said Mehra.
The hospital also doesn’t have materials like composite, ceramic, silver fillings and glass ionomer that help in the restoration of decayed and fractured teeth.
“After facing a shortage of materials for almost a month, the hospital authority last week had to procure it locally, the stock of which is already exhausted. These materials are also needed during the practicals for the students,” said another dentist on Thursday.
The first to offer a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree in India, GDCH is among premier dental institutions in the country. At present it offers 100 seats for BDS; 50 for Master of Dental Surgery; and 10 each for dental hygienists and dental mechanics as recognised by Dental Council of India.
Dr Vivek Pakhmode, hospital dean confirmed the unavailability of services at the hospital.
“We are in the process of procuring the X-ray films. But as our digital X-ray machine is functional, we are providing a screenshot of the photos to the patients in medical emergencies,” he said.