In a significant step towards dental healthcare, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the new headquarters of the National Dental Commission (NDC) and laid the foundation stones for three Nursing Colleges in Andhra Pradesh and one in Jammu and Kashmir virtually.

Additionally, MoU was signed between the Dental Council of India and Quality Council of India for the assessment and rating of undergraduate dental colleges and launched the National Dental Register under the National Health Digital Mission.

Dr. Mandaviya was joined by Dr. Manik Saha, Chief Minister of Tripura and Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir joined virtually.

He said, “The advent of Dental Commission heralds a new era in dental education and administration.”

“Through the Dental Commission Act, the government has made an effort to make dental education more practical, affordable and bring transparency in the entire system, simultaneously providing patients with affordable and good treatment,” commented Dr. Mandaviya. 

He added, “It is imperative to create awareness regarding oral hygiene enabling us to tap into the immense opportunities in this domain benefitting our nation.”

Addressing the gathering, the Union Health Minister emphasized that with the launch of National Dental Register (NDR) created under One Nation One Register, the people of the country will get the identity and qualification of dentist in a transparent manner.

“NDR will provide Unique Identification (DCI ID) to all dentists practicing in India after verification from the respective State Dental Council. The NDR will also help citizens identify dentists verified by state dental councils,” said Dr. Mandaviya.

Highlighting the government's commitment to strengthen the nursing workforce and mitigate healthcare disparities across regions, Dr. Mandaviya said, “This ceremony is a part of the government's scheme to establish 157 new nursing colleges co-located with existing medical colleges.”

Manik Saha applauded the transformation taking place in the health sector and stated “the establishment of these institutions will benefit the common man enabling easy accessibility of affordable healthcare services.”

Addressing the gathering, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, emphasized the pivotal role of nurses in healthcare delivery and stated that the establishment of nursing colleges is a significant step towards building qualified human resources in healthcare, aligning with national mandate for universal healthcare.

The event was attended by Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Dr. Vipul Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; senior government officials; Padmashri Brig. Dr. Anil Kohli; Padmashri Dr. R. K. Bali, Dental Council of India; Dr. Dibyendu Majumdar, Chairman, Dental Commission of India; Dr. Montu M. Patel, President, Pharmacy Council of India; Dr. T. Dileep Kumar, Indian Nursing Council; faculty and students of Sardar Patel PG Institute of Dental and Medical Science; Raj Bhawan Jammu; Buddha Dental Institute of Dental Sciences; Jammu and Kashmir Nursing College; Manchilpatam Nursing College Andhra Pradesh; Dental College, RIMS, Ranchi; Saveetha Dental College, Chennai; Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (IDS); and others.