Maulana Azad Institute Of Dental Sciences: The Oral Lab

MAULANA AZAD MEDI­CAL COLLEGE (MAMC) and the associated hospital campus have been a part of many significant events through­out history. In 1983, the first batch of Bachelor's in Dental Studies (BDS) was admitted to MAMC. Until 1995, there were only six faculty members. There­after began the transformation of the dental wing into a full-fledged dental college and hospital.

Initially named Maulana Azad Den­tal College and Hospital, the college was elevated to an autonomous institution under the Delhi government and was rechristened Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences in 2006. Within a short period of time, it has become the premier government dental college in India. The student intake for the Bach­elor's degree is 50, and for the Master's degree, 22 each year.

MAIDS is a dental institution of high repute in the country and has main­tained a leadership position in dental education, dental care, research and innovation. The institute has also been declared as a "Centre of Excellence" under the government of NCT of Delhi and was ranked first in 2020 and fourth all over India as per the National Insti­tutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) under the Best Dental Colleges category.

With global facilities and a dedicated team of professionals, the institute is one of the pioneers in oral healthcare delivery with a footfall of 1,750 pa­tients per day. In 2011-12, competing against some big names in the health­care industry, MAIDS for the second consecutive year, received the presti­gious "FICCI Award" for operational excellence in healthcare followed by the "Special Jury Award—Social Ini­tiative 2018" by FICCI at the Health­care Excellence Awards. Some impor­tant accolades are the "Rao Memorial Award" for outstanding outreach ef­forts by Famdent, and the "National Oral Health Care Sushruta Award 2017" in the category of outstanding contribution by an institute in pro­viding oral healthcare services by the Indian Dental Association (IDA).

In 2011, MAIDS became the first dental hospital in India to get an NABH accreditation. The dental hospital has always worked towards enhancing healthcare systems and promoting continuous dental care quality improvement and patient safety. Emphasising the best prac­tices, the institute also follows the "KAYAKALP" guidelines and bio­medical waste rules as per the Cen­tral Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for cleanliness, hygiene promotion and infection control practices.

The core curriculum of MAIDS is not confined to academics alone but spills over to research and communi­ty activities, too. MAIDS has been at the forefront of biomedical and dental health research studies for more than three decades and, currently, has 20 funded research projects running. Over the years, the institution has contributed to the betterment of oral health, evidence-based dental treat­ment protocols and innovations in material sciences, and instrument designing. It was one of the first few dental colleges to have registered on the National Ethics Committee Registry for Biomedical and Health Research (NECRBHR) portal.

MAIDS was the only dental facil­ity in Delhi providing all the essential services during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. We are one of the pioneers in drafting and imple­menting the institutional Covid-19 protocol and one of the first dental hospitals in the country to have a Covid-19 sampling and vaccination centre under the NCT of Delhi. Dur­ing the pandemic, an innovative tele-service was initiated to address the dental needs of patients.

The institute is also one of the partners in the National Pit and Fis­sure Sealant pilot project under the National Oral Health Programme, which was launched by the Minis­try of Health and Family Welfare in 2017. The Institute was one of the state nodal offices for developing the national oral health policy (NOHP). That explains why MAIDS has been designated the National Resource Centre for Oral Health and Tobacco Cessation (NRC-OH-TC) under NOHP by the MoHFW since 2019. The NRC-OH-TC is now developing an evidence-based interactive course targeted exclusively at dental profes­sionals across the country. The plan is to take dental care to patients' door­steps by opening satellite centres in remote parts of Delhi and by being a part of the National Rural Health Mission. The Mobile Dental Project under the National Health Mission, running in the institute since 2014, has set an example for all dental col­leges countrywide.

Apart from academic excellence, the students at MAIDS are known for cutting-edge research. The institute has tie-ups with nine international universities and agencies along with collaborative activities with institu­tional and research organisations. Both students and faculty benefit from such collaborations.

Over the years, MAIDS has carved a niche in the dental arena for pro­viding professional services. This has been facilitated by long hauls of interminable work, periodical assess­ment and the indomitable will of our dedicated staff.