J&K Leaders, students hails decision taken by Union Health Minister who approves 3 PG specialties for Govt dental college & hospital, Srinagar.

JAMMU: Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad has approved three more MDS Courses (Post Graduate Course) for the Government Dental College & Hospital, Srinagar. The new disciplines approved are Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, Oral Medicine & Radiology & Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge with two seats each from the academic session 2012-13.

The approval has been conveyed to the College authorities. The College authorities had earlier taken up the matter with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir and University of Kashmir. Affiliation by the University of Kashmir was accorded and the matter was taken up with the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Dental Council of India. The teams from Dental Council of India conducted various inspections were conducted and forwarded the recommendations to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare which were finally approved by Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Govt. Dental College & Hospital, Srinagar is already running two recognized Post Graduate Courses (MDS) with two seats annually in the speciality of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

The College is running another MDS Course in the speciality of Periodontics and the necessary approval from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India has also been accorded to admit the next batch of students during the current academic year in the speciality of Periodontics. With this the total number of Intake capacity in various branches of Dentistry has increased from 6 to 12, giving more opportunities for the residents of State of Jammu & Kashmir to pursue their studies further who otherwise have very limited options to do the same outside the State. The authorities have accordingly taken-up the matter with the Board of Professional Entrance Examination to send the necessary list of students to be admitted against the above courses during the current academic year from the merit list which have already been issued.

Former Minister and MLA Inderwal G M Saroori, MLA Doda Abdul Majid Wani, MLA Ramban Ashok Sharma, MLA Bhaderwah Mohd Sharief Niaz, MLA Banihal Vikar Rasool Wani, MLC Naresh Gupta, MLC Subash Gupta, MLC Jahangir Mir, MLC Jughal Kishore, MLA Chennani Krishan Chander Bhagat, MLC Mohd Amin Butt, MLC Haji Ali Mohd Ali Bhat, MLC Jahangir Mir. Ex Legislators, Haji Abdul Rashid, Faqir Mohd Khan, Ashok Sharma, Dr Ramesh Chander and Senior Congress leaders Hameed Chowdhary, S S Salathia, Maheshwar Singh, Thakur Jughal Bhandari, Mushtaq Hap, Sarfaraz Khan, Mahinder Parihar, Mohd Iqbal Keen, Youth Congress Leader Shariq Saroori, Sheikh Amir Rasool, Mehboob, Arif Maqbool, and the students hailed the above action taken by the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad Sahib and have expressed their gratitude.