Patients suffer as dental chair at Dhanas non-functional

A dental chair has been lying around unused for about a year at the civil dispensary in Dhanas and yet not a single patient has benefited from it. For the chair to be made fully functional, it requires both electric and water supply to provide treatment.

Despite repeated follow-ups on the installation by the medical officer, Dhanas, with the Chandigarh’s Engineering Department, the chair lies in wait to be used for the welfare of patients living in the vicinity of the dispensary.

There’s only one chair and that’s also not functional is the reason why patients from Dhanas and adjacent areas are being asked to go to government medical facilities in Chandigarh. There’s a dedicated room for dental OPD with dental chair and facility. In fact, two dentists are also posted for consultation on any dental issue.

Rahul Kumar, a resident of Dhanas, said, “I had recently visited the Civil Hospital and found that the dental chair was not operational. I had a severe cavity and root canal was needed to be done, but I was told to go to government hospital in Sector 16. A few months back also, I had to return when my father needed dental consultation because of the same reason. It’s sheer neglect by the Administration if we are not given consultation despite the doctor and the technology needed for the treatment.”

Dr Davinder Kumar, head of Dental Department, Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, stated that, “When the dental chair was provided, along with two dentists were assigned to the civil dispensary at Dhanas. We have got the installation report signed by the doctors. However, about the chair to be made functional, the water connection to the chair is the responsibility of the Engineering Department.”

On inquiring with the Engineering Department, CB Ojha, Chief Engineer, Chandigarh, shared that, “It would be done at the earliest and that too in two-three days. So far, it had not been brought to our attention by the hospital administration.”