More dental care facilities planned
More dental care facilities planned
JAKARTA (JP): The government plans to boost dental care
facilities throughout Indonesia despite the lack of awareness of
basic dental hygiene among the general public.
In line with this year's World Health Day theme of promoting
oral health, the government hopes that all community health
centers will eventually be equipped with dental care facilities.
World Health Day falls on April 7.
Dentists would be retained on the government's payroll just
like general practitioners to work at state hospitals or health
centers, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health Hidayat
Hardjoprawito said yesterday.
Hidayat told a press conference that besides dental care
facilities, the government will provide houses and motorcycles
for dentists who practice at the community health centers.
He acknowledged, however, that there is still a severe
shortage of dentists in Indonesia, with one dentist available for
every 22,500 people. With most dentists bunched up in urban
areas, the shortage is even more pronounced in remote regions.
In spite of the shortages, there are currently 1,100
unemployed dentists, and each year the country produces 55 new
dentists. "Most dentists are women who are reluctant to work in
remote areas," Hidayat said.
The government also plans to distribute toothpaste containing
fluoride freely in villages that have the highest incidence of
oral health problems, he added.
The Association of Indonesian Dentists (PDGI) is also joining
in the campaign by planning to launch free dental care services
in selected locations in Indonesia this month.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen oral health for
this year's theme for World Health Day because of indications
that oral health problems have increased worldwide in recent
years.
"There are preventive programs offered by WHO; proper oral
hygiene, eating habits, and the use of fluoride. WHO is working
together with the Indonesian government to improve oral health in
this area," Robert Kim Farley, WHO's chief representative in
Indonesia, told the same press conference.
WHO has been urging the governments of developing countries to
provide tax incentives to toothpaste manufacturers which use
fluoride because it helps reduce the incidence of oral disease.
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