08-07-2025
Smile please! ‘Malarum Punnagai' may go pan Tamil Nadu
VIRUDHUNAGAR: Following the success of Malarum Punnagai – the district administration's special initiative to treat malocclusions among government school students – Tamil Nadu's National Health Mission officials are now conducting a feasibility study to extend the programme statewide.
Speaking to TNIE, NHM mission director Arun Thamburaj said the study is currently underway and further decisions would be made based on the feasibility of the programme.
The initiative, launched in Virudhunagar last year by the then collector V P Jeyaseelan, was aimed at correcting teeth misalignment in children free of cost at an early age, which would also improve the students' self-esteem and confidence.
The district administration, supported by National Child Health Programme and the District Early Intervention Centre (DEIC), conducted camps under the initiative at government schools to screen students from classes 6 to 12 for malocclusion.
The camps focused on children suffering from improper dental alignment, which can lead to poor jaw growth, difficulty in chewing, and other complications, sources said. Deputy Director of Health Services (Virudhunagar) V Yasodhamani said, 'Students from classes 6 to 12 were screened, and those in need were treated with braces, with the majority being from classes 7 to 10.'
