Kozhikode: Kozhikode government medical college hospital is all set to get an advanced auditory verbal therapy (AVT) centre.
The centre to be set up under the centre for audiology and speech pathology of the ENT department will be commissioned on November 29. The facility will be housed on the sixth floor of the super speciality block.
The centre will have 12 rooms to carry out rehabilitation of 22 deaf children after they underwent cochlear implant.
The AVT centre will also have facilities to check the quality of the hearing aid. The centre will help deaf adults and children to develop appropriate spoken language according to their age and inculcate effective communication skills through attending various therapy sessions. The experts will provide individual and group therapy sessions to the recipients of cochlear implant.
The centre was set up under the state initiative on disabilities scheme of the Kerala State Social Security Mission. The new centre will be set up at a cost of Rs 84.34 lakh after renovating the old one. The centre has also received another Rs 52.85 lakh allotment from the state Social Security Mission to purchase latest equipment such as ENT surgical equipment, operation microscope, to renovate the operation theatre and add sophisticated equipment to the theatre.
According to the Kozhikode medical college authorities, a total of 195 patients have undergone cochlear implant surgery at the medical college. Of this, 151 children received free cochlear implant under the 'Sruthi Tharangam' project. Besides, another 60 children below one year of age have been undergoing pre-implement therapy at the centre.
Dr R Suma, project coordinator said the existing centre lacks enough space to meet the growing number of patients from the Malabar region. "The centre will help carry out rehabilitation and speech therapy of children and adults who had undergone cochlear implant. We aim at early detection, early rehabilitation and early cochlear implementation under the national programme for prevention and control of deafness,'' she said.
P Sameer, head of the audiology, centre for audiology and speech pathology said that with the commissioning of the upgraded centre, Kozhikode medical college will have one of the best advanced AVT centres in the state.
"The centre will cater to the needs of people in eight districts,'' he said adding that the centre will also provide free otoacoustic emission screening to new born for the early detection of hearing problem among them at free of cost.
No comments:
Post a Comment