Madam Speaker, the accessibility of oral health services is undeniably important. I am informed that the dental clinic at Rivière des Créoles was originally operating twice a week, providing preventive and basic curative oral health services including checkups, extractions, fillings, scaling, hygiene advice and treatment of dental emergencies that did not require referral to hospitals to inhabitants residing at Rivière des Créoles and surrounding villages. However, since 06 October 2025, the dental clinic is operating only on Thursdays.

50 Madam Speaker, I am further informed that this temporary measure is due to shortage of dental assistants and attendants averaging to 100 patients per month at the dental clinic. As such patients requiring urgent dental care such as severe pain, infection, trauma, are immediately referred to the dental clinic at Mahebourg which operates on a full-time basis and is equipped to handle emergencies. Moreover, the Ministry has already initiated actions to report 14 vacancies for dental assistant to the Public Service Commission. Once the recruitment exercise is completed by the PSC, more dental assistants will be available at my Ministry and who will be deployed in different dental clinics including Rivière des Créoles Dental Clinic. This will ensure that the dental clinic at Rivière des Créoles operates twice a week as before.

Hon. First Member for Port-Louis North and Montagne Longue. EDUCATIONAL REFORM – ABOLITION OF MIXITY/CO-EDUCATION – PUBLIC & PRIVATE SCHOOLS