The Ministry of Health has procured modern dental equipment and materials meant for addressing the alarming problems of oral health in the country.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Peter Mwaba said the equipment and materials cost a total of K2.2 million and will be distributed throughout the country.
Dr. Mwaba said in a speech read on his behalf by Director of Disease Surveillance, Control and Research Dr. Elizabeth Chizema that government places a lot of importance on the oral health of the people in the country.
He was speaking the opening the 37th Zambia Dental Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference in Lusaka today.
Dr. Mwaba said 80 percent of the Zambian population was affected by oral problems hence his ministry was working hard to improve dental health infrastructure and solve the shortage of human resource in the healthcare system.
He said the Dental Training School in Lusaka has since been renovated to train more dental specialists.
He has since appealed to people in the country to take up training opportunities that have been provided at the Ministry of Health at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in dental related programmes.
Dr. Mwaba has meanwhile urged participants at the AGM to come up with research based evidence on oral diseases so that quick solutions can be found.
And the Zambia Dental Association has called for the promotion and usage of high technological restorative oral dental treatment that use implants as opposed to conventional removable artificial teeth.
Association President Robin Mwewa said the Ministry of Health should promote health insurance in Zambia in order to cushion the high medical expenses.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health will embark on providing free dental health clinics to primary and kindergarten schools in 2014.
Deputy Director of Oral Health at Ministry of Health, Itone Muteba said the extension of oral health to schools was intended to reduce dental diseases at an early stage.
ZANIS
UBUFI! last month PF in Siavonga said ‘Govt procures dental units at K1.62m’ and today its K2.2m, who has gotten the difference? please stop the insults because Dental Training School in Lusaka does NOT produce dental specialists, bwana PS go and check what a ‘specialist’ mean in case you have forgotten, also do an audit on how many ‘Zambian’ dentists the country has produced 49 years after independence, and you sit in your air conditioned offices as if things are normal where dentisrty is concerned in this country
Jealous from UPND under 5s. well done PF. By the way PF has terribly caned UPND in Mansa.
The President can use a dental overhaul too. Its about time. Oral health is deplorable in Zambia. Bad breath everywhere.
‘He has since appealed to people in the country to take up training opportunities that have been provided at the Ministry of Health at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in dental related programmes.’ WITH NO SPONSORSHIP, HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
Just go back to Zambia and train as a dentist and increase your opportunities of earning a better livelihood instead of condemning progressive ideas
Bufi
Good idea though corruption and kickbacks are usually part and parcel of any process of procurement in this country.
The dental school in this country seems to have specialized in one thing: pulling out teeth. When are we going to advance beyond these basics?
I hope bwana PS has factored in the cost of consumables in his budget to avoid budget deficits again.
otherz are just condeming thats their habit pliz!
when you visit a dental clinic, who is likely to treat you? i mean a dentist or dental therapist? zambian or non zambian? why?