RMC Dental unit plagued with problems

Our CorrespondentbrRAJSHAHI, Sep 5 The RMC students complained that their dental unit might face closure. They said they had placed a memorandum of five-point demands, signed by a hundred students, to the Directorate of Health on August 25 through the Principal of RMC. The memorandum mentioned that the RMC authorities failed to open a complete dental unit promised by them in 1989. brAfterwards, they opened a BDS course alongside the MBBS course at the RMC. brIn 1994, following the demands of the students, the RMC authorities in consultation with the Directorate of Health allocated the Sadar Hospital as the dental unit of RMC. Although, the dental unit at RMC is the only specialised department in the treatment of mouth parts and teeth, it is not a complete unit even after 19 years.brThough new buildings were established with increase in the number of seats from 20-50 after the movement by the students, no new post of teachers or officials were created. The department has many valuable instruments but without proper maintenance those are now out of order. Also, there is no security or sufficient manpower, and no yearly budget for this unit. brThere is also no practice of regular treatment, few or no study materials, no beds in the wards and furthermore, there are no instruments for the interns to practice with. brIt was learnt, there were 11 teachers for 10 subjects of who one is an associate professor, six assistant professors and four lecturers. brDelowar Hossain a fourth year student of the dental unit said though there is a large library in the department there is hardly any good book for use by the students. The students of RMC Dental unit do not want further promises but demand that a full fledged dental college in Rajshahi be established, he said.