The plan that provides dental care for children from three to 16 years spent only 3.3 of the five million available in 2007. And not even cover the 65 thousand subjects provided. "Regrettable," says the Dental Association.
The National Oral Health Promotion Directorate General of Health (DGS) included 52,771 children and young people last year. Five thousand more than in 2006, but below the 65 thousand down, despite the budget increase. This amounts to an implementation rate of 81%, well below the 92% in 2006.
Despite the "remarkable" gains in the face of health conditions available, the president of Dental Association regrets that the implementation to "inexplicably not be complete. This in a country that has about 1.3 million children and young people in those age groups.
Assuming that you can not reach everyone - not least because many families opt for private - Orlando Monteiro da Silva considers that, at least, the children at health centers should be gradually covered, starting with the youngest. If so how many the children of pregnant women assisted in the National Health Service (65 000/year), will be between three to 16 years, 795 000. "The coverage does not reach 7%. There are children on the waiting list to enter the program and the country gives itself the luxury of not spending the money available."
Orlando Silva attributes the low performance of the shortage of dentists contractually agreed to the program (which involves schools and health centers). They are 1191 dentists in a recruitment process which bureaucracy "hangs" new accessions and the price - 75 euros / year / child - are unworkable.
Says the DGS (Directorate - General Health) that the 52 771 children involved 112 850 queries, ie, an average of 2.3 each. Arguing on the number of cavities treated (there were 150 147 before the intervention medical and dental, going to 34 321 after), to which we must add seals and fillings, we can see that "the number of treatments is much higher than the number of queries" . And, he adds, "the biggest complaint from colleagues is that the most frequent cases are children under ten or more cavities.
For OMD (Dental Association), the solution to improve a program that the former Minister Correia de Campos considered "inadequate" (in order of January in which determined the enlargement to 80 000 children this year) would impose the schedule dental check up for pregnant women and elderly people in need. Dentists are part voluntarily and receive 40 per consultation.
The few children from three to five years covered (4711, when there is in Portugal about a hundred thousand) is another critical Orlando Silva. Why is following them early on that it prevents and prevents tooth decay and meets the program.
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It is unfortunate that a socialist government almost completely devastates the access of children and adolescents to oral health programs, this is a very serious crime of negligence by the Public Health Ministry, so I would ask all readers of this blog they denounce this attack perpetuated by the government and they deliver their complaints to all the institutions of civil and human rights, both in Portugal and abroad.
The government can not continue to act criminally negligent by placing the health of children and young people at risk for permanent and the rest of their lives, with all the serious physical and psychological problems that result from irreversible, it is time to say enough is enough. Someone can put an end to this barbarity committed by a government of a country that is part of the European Union.
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