MPs now want the issuance of degrees to community oral health officers stopped.
The legislators say giving them degrees will bring cadre issues with dental technologists in the long run.
Seme MP James Nyikal, who is also a member of the National Assembly Health committee, said in as much as the role they play is important, there is no point of treating simple job assignments as cadres.
“These services are important but we need to know if we really need a degree in oral health. It should be confined to a diploma level and let dentists do their work,” Nyikal said.
Currently, COHOs are trained at diploma and degree levels. They undergo three-year training in community oral health which includes curative (tooth extraction, prescription of antibiotics and analgesics, full mouth scaling) and preventive (school and community health outreach programmes, mother and child welfare clinics).
COHOs are also trained in promotive care (application of fluoride in the prevention of dental caries, tooth brushing techniques and use of simple filling techniques known as atraumatic restorative treatment).
They undergo a one-year mandatory internship in a recognised health facility before being deployed to level 1 to 4 facilities.
Dental technologists, on the other hand, specialise in rehabilitative dental health such as fabrication of dentures, orthodontic appliances, implants, maxillofacial appliances and mouth guards.
They are deployed in dental laboratories at levels 4 to 6.
“What is an oral health degree holder doing that a dentist can't because they are all degree holders? This is something we should work on now. People will form unions and technical issues will become political,” the Seme MP said.
The legislators want training and practice, including licensing for private practice by the oral health officers regulated.
Being the first oral health personnel to come in contact with dental patients at primary healthcare level, there is a need to have standardised regulations in all training institutions for uniformity, quality and professionalism.
Nyikal said it is vital to work with universities in the regulation as some institutions are putting up courses for money.
Health CAS Rashid Aman, when appearing before the committee on Thursday, however, said the two cadres should be regulated separately because of the difference in their training and practice.
“The two cadres work in collaboration but their work is different and complementary. COHOs perform curative services while dental technologists are technical personnel in dentistry,” Aman told the committee.
The CAS admitted that currently, the two cadres are not regulated by any regulatory body.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha last month urged universities to coordinate on the courses they offer to avoid duplication.
Edited by R.Wamochie
