by Divvy Kant Upadhyay, Udupi
Daijiworld Media Network

Udupi, Jul 5: “Healthcare these days is shifting focus from being ‘physician-centric ‘to ‘patient-centric’. Greater teamwork among medical fraternity is needed to provide ‘total-care’ for the patient” opined Manipal University Registrar (Intl Progs) and Director Planning, Dr H Vinod Bhat while inaugurating Udupi town’s first Speech and Hearing Rehab Centre at the Dr TMA Pai Hospital in Udupi on Saturday.

Giving student and doctors the example of a pitstop in the Formula Race track where a team finishes multiple tasks in a jiffy, Dr Bhat said that “tacit understandings between medical service providers is the need of the hour and is being looked at scientifically in healthcare management”

Dr Bhat drew attention to the fact that Udupi is considered India’s first ‘Cleft-Lip and Palate’ – free district. The bulk of post operative care and rehabilitation for these children falls on the shoulders of allied health professionals who have specialized in Speech and Language Pathology.

The department of Speech and Hearing at the Manipal College of Allied Health Sciences (MCOAHS) which recently received the ‘Centre of Excellence’ status from the Government will be offering these services at the TMA Pai Hospital in Udupi. MCOAHS Dean Dr B Rajasekhar said this was the third service being provided at Udupi by MCOAHS, the first two being the Fitness centre and optometry division. He said that “Early identification and intervention is crucial in children or adults with learning disabilities, speech problems like stammering or pronunciation”. He added that the centre would serve as a nodal point for health camps in and around the Udupi district.

Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Parvati Bhat said this would help the community in Udupi town which otherwise had to go to Manipal for treatment. Kasturba Hospital Manipal COO Dr Raghuraman was present at the inauguration.