GDC, GMC Sign MoU to Boost Rural Dental Care

Srinagar, March 06:  In a landmark move to bridge the urban-rural healthcare divide, the Government Dental College & Hospital (GDC) and Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to mark National Dentists’ Day. The agreement, signed on March 6, 2026, initiates a high-impact partnership between GDC’s Department of Public Health Dentistry and GMC’s Department of Community Medicine to transform the Dental Health Centre at PHC Khaag in Budgam district into a model for peripheral healthcare delivery.

​This collaboration directly addresses key challenges identified in a 2025 NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Dr. Vinod K. Paul, which highlighted the sharp disparity in dental service accessibility between rural and urban Jammu & Kashmir. By upgrading the clinical infrastructure at the Khaag facility, the institutions aim to provide specialized dental procedures that were previously limited to tertiary care colleges in the city. The partnership focuses on a multi-pronged approach: enhancing clinical services, implementing structured training for dental surgeons, and launching comprehensive oral health screening camps across underserved areas of Budgam.

​Speaking at the signing ceremony in Shireen Bagh, Prof. (Dr.) Sandeep Kaur Bali, Principal of GDC Srinagar, emphasized that the collaboration embodies a commitment to taking quality care beyond the college walls. Prof. (Dr.) S. Muhammad Salim Khan, Head of Community Medicine at GMC Srinagar, added that the initiative treats oral health as an inseparable part of general well-being, fostering self-reliance at the district level through a sustainable healthcare model.

​Dr. Aasim Farooq Shah, who heads the Department of Public Health Dentistry at GDC Srinagar, noted that this initiative serves as a blueprint for the entire UT. The department already successfully manages five similar peripheral centers across Tangmarg, Anantnag, and Baramulla, alongside a robust Tobacco Cessation Program. By shifting the focus from late-stage treatment to preventive education and early intervention at PHC Khaag, the project aims to significantly reduce the patient load on Srinagar’s specialized hospitals while improving the long-term quality of life for the local population.