Media Release
Mangaluru, Mar 7: Dhwani, the MAHE-Pai family endowment in memory of Suhas Gopal Pai was set up in 2019. One of the objectives was to screen and rehabilitate infants with hearing loss born in government Lady Goschen Hospital(LGH), Mangaluru with support from Kasturba Medical College(KMC), Mangaluru.
Through the endowment, newborn hearing screening and diagnostic testing facilities were set up at a cost of about Rs 25 lacs. About 6500 newborns were screened for hearing loss in 2021 by audiologists from KMC, Mangaluru and DIEC, governemnt Wenlock Hospital. In a function at Lady Goschen Hospital on March 5, free hearing aid were distributed to infants diagnosed with severe hearing loss after screening.
One set of hearing aid was handed over to the parents of an infant by Dr Durga Prasad, medical superintendent of LGH, and another by Dr John Ramapuram, medical superintendent of KMC Hospital, Attavar. The hearing aid cost was borne by the GSB Sabha, Nagpur through its trustee Shree Jitendra Nayak (alumnus of Manipal Academy of Higher Education).
In her inaugural address, Dr Suja Sreedharan, professor of ENT and Cochlear Implant Specialist, KMC Mangaluru and project coordinator highlighted the integrated efforts and the financial outgo in setting up the facilities at LGH.
Dr Radheesh, head of the department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, KMC Mangaluru outlined the activities of the centre and the process for rehabilitation of the identified infants by providing hearing aid and intensive auditory-verbal therapy by speech-language specialists at KMC Hospital, Attavar. These children will then be given cochlear implants if indicated and will be able to join the mainstream in early childhood. The cochlear implant surgery will also be done at KMC Hospital, Attavar.
Dr Nutan Kamath, professor of pediatrics, KMC Mangaluru briefed about the infants receiving the hearing aid. Dr Nutan also mentioned that these infants had successfully received treatment from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Lady Goschen Hospital.
Dr Nutan Kamath also proposed a vote of thanks.