Mangaluru: 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), Mangalore by support from Kasturba Medical College (KMC) Mangalore.
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, Mangalore and DIEC Govt. Wenlock Hospital Mangalore. In a function at Lady Goschen Hospital on 5th March 2022, free hearing aids were distributed to infants diagnosed with severe hearing loss diagnosed through screening efforts.
One set of hearing aids 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 aids 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 & Cochlear Implant Specialist, KMC Mangalore and project co-ordinator highlighted the integrated efforts and the financial outgo in setting up the facilities at LGH.
Dr Radheesh, Head of Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology KMC Mangalore outlined the activities of the Centre and the process for rehabilitation of the identified infants by providing hearing aids 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 Mangalore briefed about the infants receiving the hearing aids. She mentioned that these infants had successfully received treatment from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Lady Goschen Hospital and then delivered the vote of thanks.
