Hyderabad: The All-India Dental Students and Surgeons’ Association (AIDSA) has asked the Telangana State government to set up a separate dentistry department in all government medical colleges. This request follows National Medical Commission (NMC) rules, which recommend five dental staff members for every 100 MBBS students.
Dr. Md Manzoor Ahmed, the president of AIDSA, said the government should hire qualified dental professionals in all government-run medical colleges across Telangana. This demand is based on guidelines from official notifications released in the Gazette of India in 2015 and 2017. According to the NMC, every medical college with 100 MBBS seats should have at least one professor, one associate professor, one assistant professor, one junior resident, and four dental technicians in its dental department.
Dr. Ahmed also pointed out that for colleges with more students—such as those admitting 250 MBBS students—the number of dental staff should be increased accordingly. This would help maintain the quality of education and dental care provided at the colleges.
Currently, Telangana has 38 government medical colleges. AIDSA is urging all of them to set up fully equipped dental units that follow the NMC and Gazette guidelines. Dr. Ahmed said that doing so would not only meet national standards but also improve teamwork between medical and dental students, helping future doctors better understand and refer patients with dental problems.
He added that having dental departments in these colleges would also benefit people in rural and underserved areas. These departments could offer much-needed oral healthcare services and support the goal of providing fair and accessible healthcare to everyone.
