Mangalore : Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader formally inaugurated the dental clinic and an ayurvedic unit in Ullal, on Wednesday  Nov 5.  

The dental clinic is run by the Manipal College of Dental Sciences since January while the ayurvedic unit is operated by the Ayush (Ayurvedic Unani and Homeopathy) department since June. Both the units are in the premises of Primary Health Centre, Ullal.

The dental clinic has two dental chairs where majority of the dental treatment procedures are done, said Dilip G. Naik, Dean of the College. Since January the college has attended to 1,588 patients. Of these 42 have been provided with full dentures while 33 have given dentures partially. This was being done free of cost.

The clinic at Ullal was one of the five operated by the college in Mangalore Taluk, said Dr. Naik. The clinic in Ullal will be open on Thursdays and Saturdays, he added.

Sahana Pandurang, the Ayurvedic doctor at the unit, said around 40 patients visit the place on each of the three days it functions every week. There was more demand for Ayurvedic drugs here, she said.

Minister Mr. Khader said the government has set up a committee to frame oral health policy that meets requirements of people and also dentists. The state government was providing holistic medicine that includes allopathic, Ayurvedic, homeopathy and unani treatment.