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The Vice President, Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat has said that Dentists are engaged in a noble profession doing great service to the humanity. A dentist deals with the most valuable and precious part of the body, it has rightly been said that `every tooth of man is more valuable than a diamond’. While the research should be on to find cure for every disease, greater importance needs to be accorded to preventive medicines, he added. A doctor’s role is not only in curing and alleviating diseases but, more importantly, in preventing the diseases. Doctors indeed have unique opportunity to provide solace and better health to the society and thus making this world a better place to live in. Serving the humanity is indeed the greatest service and worship of the God. He was speaking after inaugurating the `World Dental Conference’, here today.
Following is the text of the Vice President’s speech:
`I am glad to be here amidst this galaxy of eminent dental surgeons of the world. My warm greetings to all of you. Indeed, I feel honoured to have been invited to inaugurate this first ever World Dental Conference organised in India.
I have always felt very close to the fraternity of doctors. One important reason is that I have been patient to many a doctor. Famous poet Rudyard Kipling had said, "There are two classes of man-kind in the world – doctors and patients". The class of doctors is indeed important; to me especially the dentists are very important. Among other ailments, I also suffer from dental problems. You may not notice, but I do have a few false teeth. Thanks to my dentist, these look and function like the real teeth. Contrary to a popular Indian saying Hathi ke dant khane ke aur dikhane ke aur which means an elephant has two sets of ivory teeth, one to show off and the other to bite, my denture serves both the purposes very effectively; though I do not show off or bite anybody, I use my teeth only to chew my food.
Friends, public life of politicians is also a profession. I have been in the profession of politics for over 50 years. I, therefore, have great respect for fellow professionals in the medical field and particularly the practising dental surgeons. As professionals, both of us do our practice. The politician practices with his tongue; the dental surgeon practises in the close proximity but carefully protecting the tongue. The two professions are, indeed, so very close and intimate.
Dentists are engaged in a noble profession doing great service to the humanity. A dentist deals with the most valuable and precious part of the body; it has rightly been said that ‘every tooth of man is more valuable than a diamond’. The famous writer Hugh Wheeler had once said, "To lose a lover or even a husband or two during the course of one’s life can be vexing. But to lose one’s teeth is a catastrophe". Of all the pains in life, the suffering of pain in the tooth is perhaps the most unbearable. I am reminded of what Shakespeare had said, "There was never yet philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently". When a dentist with his soothing touch calms down this pain, the patient looks upon him as a God with ever abiding respect.
Friends, times are changing fast. In earlier times, a dentist was one to cure toothache, do tooth extraction and finally give a denture. However, nowadays dentists are solicited more and more by the fashion lovers who want to look more charming and beautiful and wear a smiley face. Today, dentists are creating a world with better looks. They do not any more provide denture of false teeth; they provide new teeth that look completely real and even better.
Today, the world is changing fast. New inventions in science and technology are providing ways and means for controlling diseases and constantly improving the quality of healthcare. We should take full advantage of new emerging opportunities. While we must strive to achieve excellence in healthcare and ensure availability of the best of facilities for treatment, my greater concern and anxiety is to ensure that the poor and the deprived ones are also able to have access to basic healthcare.
Recently I was reading a report on the oral health scenario in our country. I was disappointed to know that more than 80 per cent of dental surgeons are catering to the needs of 20 per cent of the population in urban areas while almost no dental care facilities are available to the 80 per cent of the population living in the rural areas. I am very happy to inform this august gathering that our Government has now launched a unique health project that will ensure providing oral health care to the rural population down to the village level through mass oral health awareness campaigns and mobile clinics covering the remote rural areas. This innovative project should be of great relevance and interest to all the developing countries.
Friends, in my long public life I have seen the misery of the common man from hand-shaking distance; I have seen the pain of deprivation of the poor having no access to basic services of health or education. My uppermost concern throughout has been for programmes for alleviation of poverty and overcoming under-development. I always look up to researchers to provide solutions for reduction in cost of basic services making them affordable to the common man.
While the research should be on to find cure for every disease, I believe greater importance needs to be accorded to preventive medicines. A doctor’s role is not only in curing and alleviating diseases but, more importantly, in preventing the diseases. I am reminded of a Chinese proverb that says: the inferior doctor treats actual sickness; the mediocre doctor attends to impending sickness; the superior doctor prevents sickness. The poor and the deprived ones would certainly be blessed if they are served more by the superior doctors.
Ladies & Gentlemen, doctors indeed have unique opportunity to provide solace and better health to the society and thus making this world a better place to live in. Serving the humanity is indeed the greatest service and worship of the God. Swami Vivekanand had said, I quote: "the poor, the illiterate, the ignorant, the afflicted – let these be your God. Know that service to these alone is the highest religion". Unquote. I would urge you not only to strive for excellence in your profession, but also serve the cause of providing basic healthcare to the poor and the deprived.
Friends, with these words, I have great pleasure to inaugurate this World Dental Conference. I do hope the deliberations here by eminent dental luminaries of the world would enhance international understanding in the sharing of scientific achievement and knowledge for the benefit of man-kind; that these would go a long way in promoting the cause of affordable healthcare for all and also promoting globalisation of humane values comprising attributes of care and compassion and fellow feeling, thus weaving a web of life full of happiness, peace and tranquility. I wish the Conference all success.’
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