HYDERABAD: Only 90 dentists have transferred their membership from the
Andhra Pradesh dental council
to the Telangana board, and the government has closed enrollment. The dentists’ body gave the doctors just three months to register. There are an estimated 10,000 practising dentists in Telangana with about half of them in Hyderabad.
The four-member Telangana State Dentists’ Registration Tribunal (TSDRT) gave the doctors time from October 6 to December 31, 2016 to re-register after obtaining no-objection certificates (NoCs) from the Andhra Pradesh state dental council and the Dental Council of India. APSDC has about 23,000 members. “The deadline for Telangana dentists (those holding registration with APSDC but practising in Telangana) to take fresh membership with TSDRT expired last week. We are not at fault as we notified the dates between which they need to register with us,” said M Satyanarayana, secretary/registrar, TSDRT.
However, the absence of a grace period for dentists to register could lead to problems. “Tomorrow, if somebody files a case against a dental surgeon alleging unethical practice, he will have to present his case before the APSDC in Vijayawada. This will cause inconvenience to the complainant,” said Dr T Jayasimha Reddy, president-elect, Telangana chapter of
Indian Dental Association
(IDA).
Hundreds of dental faculty members teaching in the 10 dental colleges in Telangana could be in trouble during inspection by Dental Council of India as existing rules require them to register with the state dental council.
If dentists are not registered, they cannot apply for the recently notified assistant dental surgeon posts by Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad.
Dentists say the process of registration is cumbersome and getting the no-objection certificates from two organisations is a problem. They have sought an extension of time for registration.
“Besides the transfer fees, we need to furnish our four-year dental course certificates to TSDRT. I am a senior dentist with 30 years of experience. I don’t have the time. Why should dentists suffer for the bifurcation of the state,” asked Dr
K V Thrinath Reddy
, 54, president, Telangana chapter of IDA.
Dentists have to appear in person to get the no-objection certificates from Dental Council of India and APSDC as there is no online system.
“It is impossible to expect over 10,000 practising dentists in Telangana to migrate to the new dental council in just three months,” said Dr M Praveen Kumar, secretary, Telangana chapter of IDA.
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