By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, March 9: Twenty-seven schools in Sarawak will soon benefit from the community school dental programme (‘program pemasyarakatan klinik pergigian sekolah’), says Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He elaborated that this programme also ensures that, in addition to the students, the schools’ dental care services are also extended to teachers and school staff.
He also added that 151 school dental clinics are providing incremental dental care annually for primary and secondary school students.
“This programme will indirectly enhance the existing school dental programme for the schoolchildren. In other districts without dental clinics, outreach programmes have been growing exponentially in number, frequency, and duration of each visit,” he added.
Abang Johari said this while officiating the 12th Borneo Dental Congress and Trade Exhibition at a hotel today.
Deputy Premier Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian read his speech.
He also shared that as of Dec 31, 2022, there are 436 dental officers and specialists in Sarawak’s government service and five non-ministry government dental officers, of which 33 are dental specialists.
He further disclosed that oral health care needs in Sarawak are also taken care of by dentists in the private sector.
He pointed out that as of 2022, there are 129 private dental clinics with 205 private dental practitioners.
“This figure helps make the ratio of population to dentist in Sarawak in 2022 as one to 3,829,” he said.
Some 607 delegates, comprising 432 specialists, dentists, and 175 auxiliary staff from Singapore, Brunei, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Slovenia, Italy, United Kingdom, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and Malaysia, attended the congress.
Deputy director of Health Sarawak Dr Aminuddin Mohd Natar, Malaysia Dental Association (MDA) president Dr Mas Suryalis Ahmad, and 12th BDC organising chairman Dr Mary Chieng Ching Ru were among those present. — DayakDaily
