More than 200 000 children under seven, ten and 13 years who attend public schools will be covered by dental checks, today announced the Secretary of State for Health, Manuel Pizarro. The ordinance extending dental checks for children was published today in the Official Gazette and has as its primary objective the preservation of permanent teeth.
Speaking to Lusa, Manuel Pizarro said that will be covered by this measure 210 000 children. "All children who complete this year seven, ten and 13 years and who attend public schools," he said. There will still be 20 000 vouchers for children from pre-school, aged four and five years, which are indicated by their family doctors, told Lusa.
According to Manuel Pizarro, children with seven to ten years will receive a maximum of two checks for 13 years and three. If we take as reference what is happening to pregnant women who use the National Health Service and receive dental checks since May 2008, each check you can do an average of two treatments, he argued.
The measure is part of the National Programme for the Promotion of Oral Health, which was prepared by the Directorate General of Health and professional organizations representing dentists and dentists. I think that we all recognize that one of the limitations of the National Health Service was access to oral health, the secretary of state, adding. We want, in a balanced and technically supported, go gradually introducing oral health programs exploiting the National Health Service (SNS in portuguese).
In 2008, pregnant women and the elderly covered by this measure, which in 2009 was extended to children. This is to be continued that is sustainable in terms of technical and financial support and to allow the Portuguese to smile with a smile more beautiful, he added.
The users beneficiaries have freedom of choice of doctors and dentists dental members, listed on a national list of functional units available in groups of health centers and in the website "https://www.saudeoral.min-saude.pt/sisoral/pnpso/".
* * *
Another drop of water to fill the precariousness and the abandonment of the valence of oral health in our country. After an extensive study on oral health (National Study of Prevalence of Oral Diseases, 2008), measures emerge piecemeal and without any sense to fight and solve the problem effectively, it seems that after all not worth the effort and money spent in that study paid for by taxpayers' money.
Instead of making an innovative design and efficiency, access to all children and adolescents, based on that study, highlighting the quality and not numbers, we return to government initiatives to assist the pure demagoguery and winning votes on the eve of elections, because what matters are numbers and more numbers, without any concern for quality, durability and sustainability of the measures taken.
It is expected that the professional bodies related to the oral health sector know if these measures to distance demagoguery, not lining up in the distribution of sweets to children, offering oral health policies and alternatives that are effective and efficient and have sole and exclusive interest children and young portuguese.
No comments:
Post a Comment