Punnagai Scheme Launched to Screen Nearly 400,000 Children for Common Dental Diseases

India: The state of Tamil Nadu has launched a new initiative called Punnagai aimed at promoting oral and dental health among middle school students. The Punnagai scheme was launched by the Health Minister Ma. Subramanian and the Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, at a government higher secondary school in Nandanam. 

The initiative will see the screening of nearly four hundred thousand (four lakh) middle school students (Classes VI to VIII) for common dental diseases such as tooth decay and gum diseases.

Successful Pilot in Chennai

The initiative was first piloted in Chennai, where a total of 54,000 students from government, corporation, and government-aided schools were screened. Following the successful pilot, the rest of the state will be covered with funding from the National Health Mission (NHM), Tamil Nadu.

A mobile clinic from the Tamil Nadu Government Dental College and Hospital will visit schools in Chennai, while private dental hospitals and colleges will be roped in for the exercise in the rest of the state.

Promoting Dental Health in Children

At the national level, 50% to 60% of the children aged 5-15 have problems such as cavities and gum diseases, he pointed out. Children requiring treatment would be referred to government hospitals.

According to Mr. Subramanian, the screening will help detect common dental diseases and their treatment. He said, “Through this scheme, nearly four lakh children studying in Classes VI, VII and VIII across the State will be screened. This will help in the detection of common dental diseases and their treatment.”

The initiative is a positive step towards promoting dental health among children in Tamil Nadu. With the screening of nearly four lakh students, it is expected that the detection and treatment of common dental diseases will be more widespread.

Mylapore MLA Dha. Velu, Health Secretary P. Senthilkumar, Director of Medical Education R. Shanthimalar, Tamil Nadu Government Dental College and Hospital principal G. Vimala, and Chief Educational Officer S. Mars took part in the launch of the Punnagai scheme.