Malaysians continue to give less importance to oral health than general health. About 90 per cent of Malaysian adults have dental caries, while 75 per cent of children below 16 years of age and 50 per cent of those below 12 years also have dental caries.
This can be attributed to a lackadaisical attitude among Malaysians as far as oral health is concerned. All parties must take an active interest in dental care and not just leave it to the experts, such as dental surgeons. The burden of oral infection and conditions should not be placed entirely on our dental surgeons and the Government. It takes collaborative effort to continue to improving the oral health of Malaysians.
The
2010 National Oral Health Plan (NOHP) was developed in 2000 with the objective of achieving optimum oral health among Malaysians by 2010. The focus was on oral conditions of public health significance. The four oral conditions identified were dental caries, periodontal conditions, oral malignancies and dental injuries.
In developing the Oral Health Goals for 2010, targets set are not merely directed towards disease but also focus on health. To ensure targets set are realistic, reference was made to data from national epidemiological surveys, small-scale local studies as well as the Dental Subsystem under the Health Management Information System (HMIS) of the Ministry of Health. Ten years was considered a suitable time frame for the implementation of the strategies towards achievement of the goals.
In defending the progress made my his Ministry in the past 10 years, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the oral health of Malaysians has improved over the years.
"Today, more than 40 per cent of our 16-year-old schoolchildren [*This figure is contradictory to the figure in the second statement of this article - should be 24%, not 40%*] have never experienced dental caries in their permanent dentition as compared to the early 1970's when only about 15 per cent were free of the problem," he said.
He hoped that dental professionals and the dental industry could work hand-in-hand with the government to empower young Malaysians to be more responsible for their own health. The local dental fraternity must start thinking about the future direction of the dental system and education, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said. He said this was to meet the government's target of one dentist for every 4,000 people in another seven years, compared to the ratio of 1:7,936 currently.
"There are 3,567 registered dental practitioners in the country. We must bear in mind that a large portion of our adult population has yet to be adequately covered by the public sector and much ground still needs to be covered in elevating the oral health status of the population."
Liow said the introduction of the three-year compulsory government service for dentists in 2005 has increased the percentage of dentists working in the public sector from less than 45 per cent to 51.5 per cent.
"With the 12th dental school that is yet to be approved by the ministry, the number of graduates will also be increased from around 200 last year to 665 per annum by 2017. In tandem with that, we are and will be struggling to meet our needs for well-qualified and experienced dental teachers and specialists, not only to teach, but also to do research and provide better quality service," he added.
Malaysia's performance in health has been exemplary and can be used as a benchmark by other developing countries, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.
He said the salient features of Malaysia's achievements in health were universal access to a comprehensive public health sector, safety net for catastrophic expenditure for chronic illnesses, minimal or no co-payments for services in the public system and health services focused on health promotion and disease prevention with responsive private sector health system.
"Consequently, there have been significant improvements in the health status of our population with reduction in morbidity and mortality and an increased life expectancy," he said. However, he said, the system of financing the present healthcare system could not be sustained because of the many challenges.
The main challenges were a growing public-private dichotomy, relative operational inefficiency between the two sectors, variations in practice and standard of care, rising healthcare cost and changing patterns of health expenditure. The Health Ministry is now working towards reform in the healthcare system where the role of the private sector would be significantly enhanced, he said.
Four levels of policy changes were required to transform the healthcare system, some of which were radical with huge implications, he said, adding that the details are still being worked out and implementation would be done in phases.
"The public will be informed accordingly, but what I would like to stress right now is for all Malaysians to be aware that change is imminent and our workforce must develop appropriate skills to embrace, facilitate and implement that change," he added.
Muhyiddin also urged those in the dental profession to familiarise themselves with the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) roadmap and work in tandem with the government to ensure the success of the proposed healthcare reform.
In the context of the dental profession and practice, there is a need for participation by the dental industry to innovate, develop and manufacture dental services and materials of exceptional quality to compete with the international market.
In this context, I am pleased to be associated with Stellar Dent, the first Malaysian manufacturer of dental chairs, portable dental chairs and portable dental units. Similarly, with Novella Dental Tech which is the first Malaysian manufacturer of dental implants ~ the
Novella Ultima single-piece dental implant which is suitable for the flapless, immediate-loading technique. We are making headway to export both these products.
In the pipeline are plans to produce dental materials in Malaysia for the Malaysian and export markets. Details of this and other innovative projects will be announced later.
Since 2005, our
MalaysiaDentist.com dental tourism portal has been a one-stop centre to access all the relevant information on dental care in Malaysia. It is a gateway to world-class dental treatment in Malaysia, enabling visitors to plan, arrange and manage their complete treatment and holiday in Malaysia from the comfort of their own homes. Together with our Official Travel Agent, Orient Escape Travel Sdn Bhd, we will take care of all your dental surgery, oral surgery, specialist dental care, visa and travel needs.
"In the health sector, we expect greater revenue to be generated by more aggressive participation in the healthcare travel industry, manufacturing of medical devices and pharmaceuticals," Muhyiddin said.
Looks like our business plans are in line with the government's vision and policies.
==============
Direktori Staff > Bahagian Kesihatan PergigianSenarai Klinik Pergigian KerajaanSenarai Hospital KerajaanCopyright 2003-2010 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice
