Agartala, December 25, 2025: Tripura Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha on Wednesday emphasized the importance of instilling health awareness among children from an early age, particularly regarding hygiene and dental care. He said that educating children about cleanliness can help prevent many diseases, while awareness about oral health from childhood is essential for their overall well-being.

The Chief Minister was speaking at the inauguration of National Dentist Day 2025 and the annual dental conference of the Indian Dental Association’s Tripura branch, held at Pragya Bhavan in Agartala. “There is no end to knowledge, no end to learning. Dentists too must keep themselves updated by learning from experienced practitioners,” he remarked.

Highlighting the state’s progress in healthcare infrastructure, Dr. Saha announced several initiatives: a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with AIIMS, New Delhi, to strengthen medical services in Tripura; bed capacity at Medical and GBP Hospitals has been increased from 727 to 1,413; Manipur’s Shija Hospital and Research Institute is set to open a branch in the state; with support from the Ministry of DoNER, a new Government Dental College building is being constructed at a cost of ₹202 crore; MBBS seats have been raised to 450, PG seats to 93, and BDS seats to 63; and a 100-bed eye hospital will be established to improve ophthalmic services.

Dr. Saha also spoke about the ‘Susto Saishab Susto Kaishore Abhiyan’, which now covers 10.59 lakh children and adolescents aged 1 to 19 years. For free pediatric cardiac treatment, the state government has signed an MoU with Apollo Hospital, Chennai.

He paid tribute to Padma Bhushan Dr. Rafiuddin Ahmed, regarded as the father of modern dentistry in India, for his pioneering contributions to the field.

Health Secretary Kiran Gitte, in his welcome address, highlighted significant achievements in healthcare infrastructure over the past three years and stressed the government’s focus on adopting modern technology in medical services. Dr. Partha Roy Choudhury, President of IDA Tripura, also addressed the gathering.

Among those present were Dr. Debasree Debbarma (Director of Health Services), Saju Bahid A (Additional Secretary, National Health Mission), Dr. Anjan Das (Director, Family Welfare & Preventive Medicine), Dr. H.P. Sharma (Director, Medical Education), Dr. Shalu Roy (Principal, Government Dental College), and Dr. Rajesh Anil Acharya (DHS, NHM).

The Chief Minister unveiled the association’s souvenir and felicitated Dr. Gouranga Chakraborty for his special contributions to dentistry. He also congratulated a patient who had fully recovered from tuberculosis and handed over a diet kit as a token of encouragement.