The Prime Minister, Dr. Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour, commended the outstanding model that Sana’a University sets for the others as to its successful scientific activities and events, regular academic process and its development-oriented approach. At the opening of the Second International Conference of Dentistry today, the Prime Minister thanked the rector of Sana’a University, his deputies and professors for organizing such scientific and academic events. He viewed such events and activities organized by Sana’a University and other Yemeni universities as one way of breaking the blockade and organized media blackout imposed on Yemen by the U.S.-Saudi-UAE Aggression Alliance.
The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Hussein Hazeb, commended the achievements of Sana’a University in completing the infrastructure, laboratories and modern equipment of the new building of the Faculty of Dentistry, on a self-supporting basis, at a time Yemen is undergoing an aggression. He noted that organizing two conferences (the Qat Conference and the Second Conference of Dentistry) in February by Sana’a University proves that the university is on the right track to obtain academic and institutional accreditation locally and internationally, embodying the optimal standards that the university possesses to carry out the educational and scientific research duties and community services. He also stressed that Sana’a University is at the forefront of public and private universities from which all state leaders and officials graduated. It is the institution of economic expertise, whose outputs are based on promoting the process of construction and development.
The Minister of Public Health and Population, Dr. Taha Al-Mutawakkil, said the conference was an advanced step in improving continuing education and improving dental skills in Yemen, particularly during the time of aggression that prevented Yemen from the access to medical supplies and equipment. He referred to the important steps of the Faculty of Dentistry at Sana’a University in transferring scientific expertise and overcoming the difficulties imposed by aggression and siege through the opening of master’s and doctoral programs in all disciplines, in addition to the lectures, scientific workshops and internal and external participation in conferences. Dr. Al-Mutawakkil called on the dentists to focus on two important issues during the practice of oral and dental medicine and surgery. First, the dental clinics should have state-of-the-art sterilization devices, in order to avoid the transmission of viruses and epidemic diseases that Yemen suffers from. Second, dentists should pay attention to the increase in the oral tumors diseases, due to Qat chewing, cigarettes and Shamma. He referred to the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Health in monitoring the performance of dental clinics and their commitment to health procedures and standards.
The Rector of Sana’a University, prof. Al-Qassem Mohammed Abass said that holding such a conference in light of the current situation in the country, as a result of the continued aggression and siege, is a victory and achievement to be added to the record of achievements and victories in various fields. He stressed that the aim of the conference is to link dentists in Yemen with the state-of-the-art techniques and materials in various dental treatments globally, to break the siege imposed on Yemen, and to take advantage of the scientific and professional experiences of the most prominent Arab and regional universities, namely Egypt, Algeria, China and Syria, in the sophisticated treatments of oral, head and jaw diseases. Prof. Al-Qassem pointed out that the first conference witnessed the announcement of the opening of the master’s degree program in the specialties of oral and dental diseases and surgery. Today, this conference witnesses the opening of the doctoral program in all dental disciplines in pursuit of qualifying and training our students, developing the research skills of faculty members, and meeting the expectations of graduates and dentists. He reviewed the stages of completion and rehabilitation of the new Faculty of Dentistry building, starting from the provision of advanced equipment and laboratories during the period of aggression against Yemen, and ending with the current stage in which the Faculty becomes a typical college comparable to the medical colleges at regional universities.
The conference includes new themes on pediatric dentistry, prosthetic and cosmetic dental treatments, programs and skills associated with the dental and gum treatment profession, presenting modern laser techniques in dentistry. The three-day conference, in which more than 1,000 academics, researchers, dentists from Yemen, Egypt, Algeria, China and Syria participated, had presentations of 70 scientific papers and researches in the field of diseases and surgery of the mouth, face and jaws, especially “oral and maxillofacial surgery, advanced prosthetic and cosmetic dental surgery, and the presentation of modern techniques of orthodontics”.
The Prime Minister and the Minister of Higher Education opened the dental supplies and equipment exhibition that was held on the sidelines of the conference and included the latest medical and technical equipment and supplies. During their visit to the Faculty of Dentistry, the Prime Minister and his companions were briefed on the building of the educational clinics for the bachelor’s and master’s degrees students. The building is equipped with modern 120 dental chairs and digital imaging methods. It also accommodates administrative offices, technical laboratories and the newly equipped self-funded Martyr Al-Samad Hall. Prof. Al-Qassem explained to the visitors the stages of rehabilitating and equipping the new building to keep pace with global dental developments. He explained that the hall receives at least 1,000 patients in various specialties of oral and dental medicine and surgery, prosthetic treatments, secondary operations, fixed and mobile fixtures and orthotics, dental implants and treatment of gums and mouth. Such services are provided to the patients free of charge, within the framework of community service.
The Prime Minister and his companions were also briefed on the project of the Center for Research, Studies and Electronic Examinations at the Faculty of Dentistry, including the preparation and arrangement of the hall, extending the electricity grids, installing tables and providing 300 computers, as a first stage, linked to the unified university network.