Unemployed dental doctors say not a single post filled since 2017, threaten to protest

An association of unemployed dental doctors on Thursday threatened to launch an agitation against the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh for allegedly not filling vacant posts and failing to take action against quacks.

The Jai Ram Thakur-government has not filled even a single post after coming to power in December 2017, Unemployed Dental Doctors' Association president Dr Anil Achta and its general secretary Dr Chandni Kaushal claimed.

As a result, over 2,500 dental doctors in the state are unemployed, they added.

Achta said, "If the Himachal government does not start the process of filling the vacant posts of dental doctors in the state, we will be left with no option but to launch agitation from November 5".

The Association also demanded action against quacks running dental clinics.

Over 250 quacks running dental clinics in various parts of the state are playing with health of patients, Achta said.

He said at least five such clinics are being run in Chopal, Nerwa and Kupvi of Shimla district alone.

He said that he had submitted written complaints against dental quacks to the director dental health services, Shimla Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Shimla deputy commissioner on September 3 but no action was taken.

When contacted, Dental director Dr Ajay Singh Chauhan told PTI that the decision of initiating action against the dental quacks would be taken at the secretary level.