MAY-JUNE 2021 Pakistan Edition DENTAL TRIBUNE 11 PM Imran Khan defers lockdown ... Continued from front page transport on March 31 but the advice was turned down and now the situation is turning worse in the province. "We have to take difficult decisions in order to c o n t r o l t h e p a n d e m i c , " M u r a d a d d e d . Attending the conference via video link, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar proposed imposing a two- week lockdown in Lahore. On 22nd April Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar and Special Assistant on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had called on the prime minister and briefed him in detail about the coronavirus situation in the country, after which the NCC meeting was convened. The NCC is an apex body headed by the prime minister. All the chief ministers, federal ministers and other key officials are members of it. Worsening situation The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday had suggested more restrictions to control COVID-19. "We will have to increase restrictions. If we do not contain the rapid spread of the pandemic, we will have no option but to impose a complete lockdown in the big cities," Umar, who also heads the NCOC, had said after chairing the meeting. The minister had warned that this was the last chance for people to take the pandemic seriously as done in the first wave last year. Otherwise, he warned, they would have to suffer strict restrictions. He regretted that neither was the public nor the administration showing responsibility to ensure full compliance with precautions and anti-COVID SOPs issued by the government. Umar had warned that the country was only a few days away from a complete lockdown so people must follow SOPs to stem the surge of COVID-19. Dr Hassan and team bid adieu ... Continued from front page including late Dr Javed Ashraf and Dr Sajjad Mustafa. His team completed the first-ever PDA House anywhere in Pakistan, an achievement that is indeed unprecedented. The PDAWC completed and opened for the general public and our young colleagues to come, learn and practice. In term of four years, they conducted 49 clinical talks, seminars and hands- on workshops, 8 Online video lectures when the pandemic started for dentists better understanding and how to brace themselves. Free PPEs were provided for clinical staff of all dental clinics in Gujranwala, 46 cabinet meetings, 11 executive body meetings, nine general body meetings, eight meetings were held with district administration to discuss and facilitate colleagues,11 free dental camps for the general public/ schools. He thanked Dr Javed Ashraf (), Dr Sajjad Mustafa, Dr Shahid Aman, Dr Rizwan Asghar, Dr Aisha Imran, Dr Naseem Mansha, Dr Azhar Gondal and Faisal Malik for their unconditional support. PDA Gujranwala, led by Dr Hassan and his dedicated team, has done which no other PDA has achieved so far, even though plots in Karachi and Lahore were acquired more than two decades ago. NIH planning to develop single ... Continued from page 02 the country shortly, the NIH official said. The process of manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine will begin following the imminent restoration of the relevant NIH plant, which was closed a few years ago. Interview with Prof. Nasir Ali Khan Continued from page 4 What are the biggest challenges that the dentists face in the field of basic dental sciences? The biggest issue that dentists are facing in basic dental sciences is the unavailability of supervisors for post-graduation programs. PMC and HEC need to play their part in this regard. Being secretary general PDA, I have raised this issue at many forums and have provided possible solutions and suggestions for that. In lieu of this, I want to share some good news that KMDC, with the help of Karachi University, has started post-graduation in oral biology, science of dental materials, periodontology, and oral pathology. The post- graduation programs are available in MS and MD. PMC and HEC should have a meeting with stake holders to highlight important issues and reach solutions. To be honest, there are issues everywhere including the dental OPDs. These include problems with infrastructure and finance. I would like the administrative department of KMDC to join hands in my effort to build a better system and infrastructure. Do you think there's a lack of a research curriculum at the undergrad level or lack of conducive environment, your comment? Yes, I completely agree that there is a lack of research curriculum and a conducive environment at undergrad level. This raises questions about who is the regulator? The answer to that is the PMC. I would request them to establish a separate research department for undergrad level. Final- year students should be encouraged to complete a research paper or two. The dental community department actively participates in these activities. What do you think are the significant challenges f a c i n g t h e d e n t a l c o m m u n i t y t o d a y ? According to me, quackery is the biggest issue faced by the dental community today. I believe that the government has not taken any significant step to curb it, despite having raised it many times. Another challenge that dentists face is unemployment. Hundreds of dental graduates are jobless. Inflation is yet another problem. Due to the current economic condition, only privileged patients are getting dental treatments, while the non-affording ones don't even consult dentists. Also, there is a lack of dental related policies on national and provincial level. An oral health policy should be implemented. There is an imbalance in the doctor-patient ratio. Urban areas have a ratio of 1:3000 it has exceeded 1:20000 in the rural population.This is a huge discrepancy! Fresh dental graduates prefer working in urban areas instead of remote places. Therefore, I would request the concerned authorities to look into this matter. One way to resolve this is to encourage graduates to work in their native area for at least five years. They should be bound either by contract or some other means to work in their home districts for a few years. Due to the current economic condition, only privileged patients are getting dental treatments, while the non-affording ones don't even consult dentists. How is dentistry operating in COVID, any specific recommendations for Pakistani dentists during COVID-19? COVID-19 has definitely caused a huge setback for the dental community. Regardless of everything, I request my fellow dentists to follow SOPs. They should stick with the recommended guidelines for COVID-19, released by the NHSRC. Patients should not be catered for without adhering to these. The World Health Organization has shared a set of directions as well. Dentists should get vaccinated. Any message for young dental students? I would advise all the dental students to follow COVID SOPs. It is sad to see that many of them are not following these guidelines. Moreover, I would suggest the dental community to use PDA as a platform to voice their concerns. I also request students to maximize distant learning. Try to participate in conferences and webinars to stay updated about the latest advancements and developments. It is a golden opportunity for everyone to join these conferences within the comforts of their home. In the end, I want to thank Dental Tribune Pakistan for giving me this opportunity. SSCMS organises COVID-19 ... Continued from page 6 devotion to students and department in these times. Furthermore, Prof. HR Sukhia and the administration congratulated the winners. Also, they paid homage to the entire dental faculty, who have contributed and aided in uplifting the standard of education in the institute. -PR Students showcase posters at ... Continued from page 8 of Oral Biology, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) and Professor Dr Saman Hakim, Head of Prosthodontics Department, BUMDC. The judges declared the poster on 'OPD protocols during COVID-19 pandemic' presented by Ammarah Noor, Naseema Bahar, Bisma Zulfiqar and Syed Muhammad Hamza Riaz as the winner. Certificates were distributed to the winning team by the honourable chief guests, DG BUMDC Vice Admiral (R) Khalid Amin HI (M) and Dr Ambreen Usmani, Dean and Principal BUMDC Medical section. They congratulated the students on their commendable efforts. -PR