NEW DELHI: Indian Dental Association (IDA) approached Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh with the request that he should take up their case with the Union Ministry of Health for enhancement in retirement age of dental doctors working in government sector.
A delegation of IDA led by its Past – President Prof. Mahesh Verma, Director – Principal, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi, Dr. Ashok D. Dhoble, Secretary General IDA and Senior Dental Specialist Dr. Rajiv Kumar Chugh today called on Dr Jitendra Singh and apprised him of, what they described as, discrimination against the doctors from dental faculty in comparison to the medical professionals from other streams / specialties. They complained that, even as the Government of India had, through a recent order, enhanced the retirement age of both the teaching as well as non-teaching doctors to 65 years, the same order had not been implemented in case of the doctors belonging to the dental stream.
Dr. Dhoble informed the minister that they had submitted written representations in the Health Ministry, wherein they had sought to draw the attention to the fact that the retirement age of the doctors of dental fraternity continues to remain 62 years for teaching and 60 years for non-teaching doctors which is a gross discrimination against them. In addition, he said, many of the state-run departments and organisations are not seriously or expeditiously follow-up the directions of the government.
Dr Jitendra said, he would study the issue in its entirety and then take it up with the Union Health Minister.
Dr Singh said, by and large, the Modi Government has always had a supportive attitude towards efficient medical professionals and their issues are always appropriately addressed.