Govt Dental Hospital turns away patients even as machines lie idle

Patients have not option but to go for private treatment, which is unaffordabe for many of them. Pic/istock

Some pains are physical, and some pains are mental, but the one that's both is dental, wrote American poet Ogden Nash. Hundreds of patients are experiencing this, aggravated by the fact that the biggest government-run dental hospital in Mumbai is refusing to treat them, citing the unavailability of material for machines. For almost a month, the X-ray machines are lying idle, while the dental crown machines are lying unused for almost three months, at the Government Dental College and Hospital, which receives around 300 patients on OPD basis every day. With no other option, patients are forced to go to private dentists for treatment, which is burning a big hole in their pockets.

Patients turned away

Ramnavmi Mourya, a 54-year-old, resident of Sion, has been suffering from toothache for the past seven days. A carpenter, his wage is dependent on daily work. But Sunday night, the pain was so severe, that he closed his shop and rushed to Grant Dental Hospital for a checkup. He was told two decayed teeth needed to be immediately extracted. But when he asked for a date for this, he was asked to get the treatment elsewhere.

A carpenter, Ramnavami Mourya, was told to seek private treatment to extract two teeth

"Two of my molars have decayed because of which I am unable to eat anything. The pain is so severe that I can't sleep at night. But I am being told to go to a private clinic as I need an X-ray for the extraction and the machine is not working here," said Mourya, who is the sole bread winner in his family of five members. The price of an X-ray is only R30 at the hospital, while in private treatment it goes upto R1,000. Without an alternative, patients are approaching private dentists for treatment.

Film unavailable
According to sources from the hospital, for the past 20 days, the four X-ray machines are non-functional due to unavailability of film that displays the radiographic image. Asked about the issue, Vivek Pakhmode, dean of the Government Dental College said, "Due to a delay in the purchase of film for the X-ray machines, the service has been stopped on a temporary basis. We have given it for re-tendering so the service will start soon."

Similarly, materials needed for dental crowns are also not available for almost three months with the hospital. Every day the hospital gets around 30 patients who require dental crowns, but they are also being asked to go to private doctors. "We have been requesting the hospital to reissue tenders for the material, but due to some technical issue, the file is stuck and people are suffering," said a dentist from the hospital.

'Will try to resolve issue'

Dr TP Lahane, Director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research, said that he would look into the matter and try to resolve the issue.

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