With supply overatking demand with the number of new dental graduates in the market, unemployment has entered the health sector. India has decided to stop alloting permissions to open new dental colleges.
This firm decision was taken at a recent general body meeting of the Dental Council of India (DCI), which grants permission to new institutes. The decision comes after many of the existing colleges wanted the council to reject the council from granting permission to fresh proposals for new colleges. They also stated the high rate of unemployment as a reason not to grant permission for new colleges.
With 309 dental colleges across India that put out a fresh batch of 26,000 dentists every year the supply was already high. In 2010, as many as 30,570 dentists graduated as compared to only 8,000 back in 1970. Dr. Mansing Pawar, a member of the DCI and dean of a government dental college says it would be a good idea to consolidate figures and strengthen the existing institutes. An exception however, would be made in the case of north-eastern states where there is a shortage or lack of dental colleges.
Source:Times of India Infographics; Data: DCI
Some estimates also suggest that there are 3 lakh dentists in India but their are spread out unevenly across the country. In 2001,India had one dentists for every 10,000 people in urban areas and one dentists for ever 2.5 lakh in rural areas. The demand to supply balance was perfect at one time, but today’s imbalance may see a surplus of as many as 1 lakh dentists in India by 2020.
The DCI has been trying its best to reduce the output of dental graduates by granting permission to colleges only if they have an attached medical institution. However, this hasn’t been enough which is evident from the rising number of dental graduates coming out every year with lower job prospects.
With inputs from: TOI
Image Credits: TOI Infographics, pravara.com