The Government will continue to increase investment in the dental sector, improve the quality of services and expand access to specialised dental care across the Maldives, Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef has said.
Speaking at the official ceremony marking the Golden Jubilee of the Government's dental services at Hotel Jen, the Vice President reaffirmed the Administration's commitment to strengthening oral healthcare and making high-quality dental services more accessible to the public.
He said one of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's priorities is to decentralise specialised dental services and ensure they are available across the atolls, adding that efforts to achieve this objective are already underway.
Highlighting developments in the sector, the Vice President noted that Maldivian dental specialists are now serving within the public health system across a broad range of specialised fields. He said this reflected the significant progress made in developing the country's dental workforce.
The Vice President also called on dental professionals to embrace the latest advances in dental technology and use the Golden Jubilee as the beginning of a new era of innovation in the delivery of modern, high-quality dental services.
Paying tribute to those who have contributed to the development of dentistry in the Maldives, he expressed special appreciation to Ali Saleem, describing his five decades of uninterrupted service to the nation's health sector as a lasting legacy and an exemplary model of public service.
Concluding his address, the Vice President expressed confidence that dental services in the Maldives would continue to advance and become a regional benchmark for excellence in oral healthcare.
As part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Vice President launched a commemorative publication documenting the history of the Government Dental Department.
He also presented awards to pioneers of dental care in the Maldives and to individuals who played a pivotal role in introducing dental services to the country.