‘Follow Traffic Rules & Avoid Accidents, Injuries/Deaths & Paying Hefty Fines’- DCP Dinesh Kumar during a ‘Road Safety Awareness Walk’ held near Kadri Park to mark ‘ Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Day’ on Monday, 13 February 2023.
Mangaluru: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Day is to celebrate the contributions Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons make to society around the world and to raise the profile of the speciality. It is also the birthday of Dr Minoo Sorabjee Ginwalla, the first oral surgeon in India. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a bit of a tongue twister. Maxillofacial surgery deals with a very complex area of the body and involves treating diseases, injuries, malformations and reconstruction of the mouth, jaws and surrounding structures. Maxillofacial surgeons perform a range of procedures from surgical removal of wisdom teeth, benign and malignant tumours of the mouth and jaws, cysts in the jaws, cosmetic surgery for dental and facial deformities, diseases of the jaw joints (TMJ), cleft lip and palate and associated deformities and major injuries to the face including fractures of the jaws and other facial bones!
They do surgical procedures in dental outpatient clinics and hospital operating rooms under local anaesthesia. It is a unique speciality bridging dentistry and medicine and it provides cutting-edge solutions for procedures you may not have been aware of. And locally here in Mangaluru, to mark ‘ ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY DAY’, which is held every year on 13 February, Dakshina Kannada Home Guards; Civil Defence DK District; a bevvy of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons; and Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Mangaluru Unit of Auto-Rickshaw Union held a ‘ROAD SAFETY AWARENESS WALK’ near the Kadri Park, Mangaluru.
The WALK was flagged off by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime & Traffic) Dinesh Kumar, along with other dignitaries namely- DK District Home Guard Commandant Dr Murali Mohan Choontharu, who is also an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon; Ramesh- Deputy Commandant, DK Homeguards; Radhakrishna- Superintendent, DK Homeguard; Dr Rajendra Prasad- Ex-Dean/Principal of AB Shetty Dental College-Nitte; Madhava suvarna- Environmentalist/Green Activist; Dr Keshav Bhat- Consultant, Oral & Maxillofacial; Dr S M Sharma- Retired Professor of Nitte University; Prof Sureshnath- Chief Traffic Warden, Mangaluru; Arun Kumar- Spokesperson of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Mangaluru Unit of Auto-Rickshaw Union, among other
A large group of Home Guards, joined by a group of drivers with their auto-rickshaws took part in the Walk, which commenced from Jogi Math and ended near Circuit House, Kadri Mangaluru. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Murali Mohan Choontharu said, ” As part of Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons, we play a vital role during accidents, disasters, etc when human beings are injured. The oral and maxillofacial region in the human body is very delicate with complicated anatomy, which decides the life of a human being. The management of disaster is a multitask approach, in which a maxillofacial surgeon plays an important role. A surgeon needs to make quick and important decisions under stressful conditions. A surgeon however should be trained, so that he should not miss injuries for better outcomes along with personal safety. A face is a very important part of the human body among other parts, and no one wants to move around with a bad face. The oral and Maxillofacial surgeons do their best for an extreme makeover of damaged facial parts so that a person can walk around without any hassles”.
Speaking on the occasion, DCP Dinesh Kumar said, ” Since fines and punishments are not curbing traffic violations, motorists should be careful and follow traffic rules strictly, without giving scope for hefty fines. Following traffic discipline is merely common sense. Mangaluru is seeing the highest number of road accidents and this “is certainly not a matter of pride”. Two-wheeler accidents and deaths are on the rise, and that is because the riders are speeding, riding recklessly, wearing no helmets, triple riding etc. Drivers talk on the phone while driving, and don’t wear seat belts and other distractions, resulting in accidents. There are a few lakhs of vehicles in Mangaluru City, and out of every 500 vehicles, one vehicle meets with an accident every year. A large number of people suffer severe injuries because of which they are affected for their entire life. Imagine the plight of the family members if the head of the family meets with an accident.”
“People should remember that road accidents could happen to anyone. Unfortunately, college students and the younger generation are also among those breaking rules. Reckless driving is a matter of thrill for them. But if it thrills, it kills. People prefer shortcuts to use subways, foot over-bridges or zebra crossings. Following traffic discipline is essential and students should always keep this in mind. Awareness regarding road safety was important for secure living, and such road-safety awareness campaigns should be launched now and then. I compliment the organizers of this Walk for bringing awareness to Road Safety. I urge everyone to follow traffic rules very strictly, thereby avoiding accidents, injuries/deaths and paying hefty fines on traffic violations” added DCP Dinesh Kumar.
Maxillofacial surgeon Dr B Rajendra Prasad, Environmentalist Madhava Ullal and Auto driver also spoke on the occasion. The objective behind this Road Safety Awareness Walk was to sensitize the public on the importance of adhering to road safety rules and to highlight the role of the public in accident scenarios on the road and highways. It also created awareness about the role of Maxillofacial Surgeons as guardians of the face. Long live the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons for playing a vital role in victims of accidents and other disasters. Kudos to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and Commandant of DK District Home Guards Dr Murali Mohan Choontharu and his team for organizing this awareness walk.
