Hearing, speech impaired represents country in Global IT Challenge in Vietnam

29.09.2017
BATHINDA: Eighteen years old Yashveer Goyal, a youth with special needs, on Tuesday returned to Bathinda after representing the country at the Global IT Challenge held at Vietnam from Sep 18 to Sep 22, 2017. He is the only Punjabi youngster to participate in this competition. Yashveer' father Chander Prakash said that when children with special needs are encouraged, they make greater achievements than normal children.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had held Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kurukshetra on July 20, 2017. Yashveer participated in it and secured first place in the hearing impairment category. At Kurukshetra, he was among four Indian youngsters selected to represent country at the Vietnam event. Yashveer could not speak and hear since birth.

Chander Prakash said "Yashveer secured 91 percent marks in class +2. He has not taken any formal computer training and has learnt computer software on his own. He added that Yashveer's mother Neetu Goyal has played pivotal role in shaping the child's future".

Chander Prakash further said that children like Yashveer do not need sympathy but opportunities equal to those given to normal children.

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Why government hospitals need to up their share of ear implants

01.10.2017
The Tamil Nadu government’s free cochlear implantation programme, the largest in the country, is struggling to free itself from its dependence on private hospitals. From January 2015 till June 2017, private hospitals had done 1,208 implantations, while government hospitals did just 448.

Hospital-wise data for the 1,200 implantations done between the beginning of the scheme in late 2012 and the end of 2014 was not made available by the TN government. But estimates suggest government hospitals did about 5% of total implantations till 2013 and about 10% in 2014, adding up to roughly 100 out of the total 1,200.

Thus, private hospitals have so far done around 80% of all the implantations under the scheme.

Why does this matter and why should the government try and change it? The implants themselves are just a part of the cost of the process of restoring hearing and speech to a deaf child using cochlear implants. Besides this, there is the cost of the surgery and the speech therapy and mapping (programming of the implant’s processor). The surgery costs about Rs 60,000 in a private hospital and the speech therapy and mapping accounts for almost Rs 2 lakh out of the Rs 6.39 lakh the TN government pays for each implantation under its revised package, which reimburses Rs 3.8 lakh for the implant.

Though many government hospitals have started implantation, they are largely dependent on private AVT (audio-verbal therapy) centres for the one-year post-surgery speech therapy (Rs 1.3 lakh) and another Rs 64,000 for switching on and mapping. If the government were to do everything on its own, the cost of the package could drop to the implant cost. At that rate, the government could have done over 1,200 implantations in 2016, when it actually did 720. But for this, the government would also have to provide speech therapy and mapping at every district hospital, as it plans to do. That wouldn’t just save costs. Every district hospital providing speech therapy would bring it closer home for parents of children undergoing therapy. Of course, there would be the initial cost of setting up the facilities and the salaries to be paid to the personnel, but in the long run these would obviously be a fraction of what it costs to pay private hospitals to do the procedure.

Government officials told TOI that they were conscious of the domination of private hospitals and were working to ensure that more government hospitals started doing the implantations. The number of surgeries done in government hospitals is indeed going up, but perhaps not fast enough.

Let’s look at the record so far. Senior ENT surgeon Dr Mohan Kameswaran of Madras ENT Research Foundation (MERF) is credited with persuading the state government to start the cochlear implantation scheme for poor children as the state has a higher incidence of deafness among children because of the prevalence of marriages within close relatives. The scheme had started with just three private hospitals, MERF, KKR ENT Hospital and Institute, Chennai and Vikram ENT Hospital and Research Centre in Coimbatore. The government decided to reimburse Rs 5.3 lakh per implant, the same as was being paid in Kerala, which too started its programme in 2012.

Data for the 2015 to June 2017 period shows that MERF had done 457 implantations and KKR Hospital 479. In the same period, all eight empanelled government hospitals put together had done only 448. Seven other empanelled private hospitals had done only 272 in the same period. Coimbatore Medical College was the first government institution to be included in August 2013. Which hospitals did the 1,000 plus implants in 2012, 2013 and 2014 that were not done by public hospitals? We really don’t know, but chances are the bulk was done by the early movers.

While MERF and KKR Hospital put together have certainly done over a thousand implants under the government scheme so far, Vikram ENT Hospital’s numbers are falling steadily. Incidentally, government hospitals are termed as ‘sub-centres’ of MERF as they are being mentored (trained by senior surgeons or mentors) by MERF.

In May this year, the Tamil Nadu government discovered that implants were being supplied to the Kerala government for just Rs 3.8 lakh while TN was paying Rs 5.3 lakh. The empanelled hospitals were informed about the revised rate for implants in a letter dated July 27. This raises the question of who was getting the extra Rs 1.51 lakh till now.

Many ENT surgeons have alleged that hospitals or surgeons doing the implantation actually get the implant at Rs 3.8 lakh or even lower. Whether this is true or not, what we do know is that the industry was indeed supplying the implants to neighbouring Kerala at that price. Such a practice is hardly unknown in the devices trade. It would be in keeping with what was happening in the purchase of other devices like cardiac stents or knee implants. Hospitals got devices at huge discounts to the marked price while charging patients the full price. During the price capping process, hospitals showed inflated procurement bills provided by the distributor/company to justify the high price to patients.

செவித்திறன், பேச்சுத்திறன் பயிற்சி கல்லூரி வரும் கல்வியாண்டில் தொடங்கப்படும்!

திருச்சி, செப்.27 செவித்திறன், பேச்சுத்திறன் பயிற்சி கல்லூரி வரும் கல்வியாண்டில் தொடங்கப்படும் என்று திருச்சி பெரியார் மருந்தியல் கல்லூரி பட்டமளிப்பு விழாவில் நிறுவனத் தலைவர் டாக்டர் கி.வீரமணி கூறினார்.

திருச்சி பெரியார் மருந்தியல் கல்லூரியில் பட்டமளிப்பு விழா இன்று (செப்.27) காலை 11 மணிக்கு நிறுவனத் தலைவர் டாக்டர் கி.வீரமணி அவர்கள் தலைமையில் நடைபெற்றது.

இவ்விழாவில் மதராஸ் காது, மூக்கு, தொண்டை ஆராய்ச்சி நிறுவனத்தின் நிர்வாக இயக்குநரும், உலகப் புகழ்பெற்ற காக்ளியர் இம்ப்ளாண்ட் அறுவை சிகிச்சை நிபுணருமான பத்மசிறீ டாக்டர் மோகன் காமேஸ்வரன் சிறப்பு விருந்தினராகக் கலந்து கொண்டு பட்டமளிப்பு விழா உரையாற்றினார். அவர் தமது உரையில்,

உயிர்காக்கும் மருத்துவத் துறை என்பது நாளுக்கு நாள் அபரிமிதமான வளர்ச்சியை அடைந்து வருகிறது. அவ்வளர்ச்சிக்கேற்ப மருந்தாளுநர்கள், தொழில் நுட்பத்துடன் கூடிய ஆராய்ச்சி அறிவினை வளர்த்துக் கொள்வதோடு, சேவை மனப்பான்மையோடும் பணியாற்ற வேண்டுமெனக் கூறி மாணவ, மாணவிகளுக்கு பட்டங்களை வழங்கினார்.

சிறப்பு விருந்தினர் டாக்டர் மோகன் காமேஸ்வரன் அவர்களுக்கு கல்லூரி நிறுவனத் தலைவர் ஆசிரியர் கி.வீரமணி அவர்கள் பயனாடை அணிவித்து நினைவுப் பரிசு வழங்கி சிறப்பு செய்தார்.

பெரியார் மருந்தியல் கல்லூரியின் நிறுவனத் தலைவர் டாக்டர் கி.வீரமணி அவர்கள் தலைமை வகித்துப் பேசும்போது,

நலவாழ்வு என்பது அனைவரையும் சென்றடையவேண்டும்.மருத்துவசிகிச்சை முறைகளில்ஏழை,பணக் காரன் என்ற எவ்வித பாகுபாடுமின்றி தரமான மருத்துவ சேவையை மக்களுக்கு வழங்கும் மருந்தாளுநராக ஒவ் வொருவரும் உருவாக வேண்டும். அத்தகைய தொண்டற மனப்பான்மையோடு மாணவர்கள் சமுதாயத்தில் செயல்படவேண்டும். மேலும் செவித்திறன், பேச்சுத் திறன் பயிற்சிகளுக்காக வரும் கல்வி யாண்டில் கல்லூரி தொடங்கப்படும் என்று கூறினார். பின்னர் பதக்கம் வென்ற மாணவர்களுக்கு வாழ்த்துகளையும்,பாராட்டு களையும் தெரிவித்துக்கொண்டார். இவ் விழாவிற்கு பெரியார் மணியம்மை பல் கலைக்கழக ஆட்சி மன்றக்குழு உறுப்பினர் வீ.அன்புராஜ், பெரியார் மருந்தியல் கல்லூரி தாளாளர் ஞான.செபஸ்தியான் ஆகியோர் முன்னிலை வகித்தனர். பெரியார் மருந்தியல் கல்லூரி முதல்வர் முனைவர் இரா.செந்தாமரை ஆண்டறிக்கை வாசித்தார்.

முன்னதாக பேராசிரியர் முனைவர் அ.மு. இஸ்மாயில் வரவேற்புரையாற்றினார். துணை முதல்வர் கோ.கிருஷ்ணமூர்த்தி நன்றி கூறினார். இப்பட்டமளிப்பு விழாவில் 38 முதுநிலை மருந்தியல் மாணவர்களும், 107 இளநிலை மருந் தியல் மாணவர்களும் பட்டங்களை பெற்றனர்.

காதுகேளாதோர் சங்கத்தினர் விழிப்புணர்வுப் பேரணி

Audiologists, Otologists call for national policy on treating the deaf

27.09.2017
A hearing aid, which is the cheapest, costs between sh2.5m to sh6m. The cochlear implant is used by those who are completely deaf and it requires surgery costing over sh100m.

HEALTH | ENT

Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists have called on the Government to provide funding for surgery for the deaf.

Dr. Micheal Awubwa, a lecturer at Makerere University, noted that if the Government funded surgeries for the deaf, people from poor families would be able to get the services.

According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report 2016, about 330 million people suffer with chronic ear infections or discharging ears worldwide, where 32 million are children.

It further indicates that about five of every 1,000 children are born deaf or hard to hear worldwide, with about 50% cases in Sub-Sahara Africa, where Uganda falls.

According to Awubwa, young people between 12 to 35 years are also at risk of suffering hearing loss, due to exposure to noise in recreation settings like headsets, headphones, and clubs.

He added that about 60% hearing loss among children can be prevented and can be healed if treatment is sought early.

A little girl shows off her hearing aid.

“The cost of developing curriculums for the deaf and other similar activities would be reduced, if the affected people are treated using the hearing aid and a cochlear implant,” he explained.

“The hearing devices are very expensive. Doctors recommend surgery if a parent is financially stable. If not, then they have to communicate using sign language,” he added.

Dr. Doreen Nakku, the head of the ENT department at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), said several Ugandan children are at risk of becoming deaf if there are no urgent government interventions, such as checking hearing at birth.

Awubwa attributes the prevalence of hearing loss in Uganda to having few ENT experts in the country.

“We are only 30 ENT experts responsible for over 35 million people in the country We would require about 800 more experts to combat the problem,” he said.

He cited lack of research, testing equipment for surgeries, explaining that there are only two hospitals - Naguru and Mulago - that have the hearing treatment equipment.

Cost of treatment
There are several devices used to help minors, youths and adults to restore hearing, which include hearing aid, a cochlear nucleus 5 implant and the latest nucleus 6 Kanso, that are all on the pricy side.

A hearing aid, which is the cheapest, costs between sh2.5m to sh6m with a Bluetooth device that enables a child to learn how to speak through phones and TV sets at home.

The cochlear implant is used by those who are completely deaf and it requires surgery costing over $30, 000 (over sh100m) and can be got on order from Nairobi Express Services the main distributors of cochlear implants in East Africa.

There are only 16 children in the country with the cochlear implants and majority of them had surgery either in United Kingdom or India.

However, cochlear surgeries can be conducted at Mulago Hospital which has registered two successful operations and hearing was restored.

After a useful operation, the child undergoes therapy, speech classes by audiologists and Otologists which costs about sh70, 000 a day until the child is able to speak.

Ogwang noted that he spends over ks2000 daily, every two weeks in a month for his son to have speech therapy among others at ABC Wanyaki way Westland in Nairobi.

He however jubilates since his son can afford to hear, and is learning how to speaking.

Maintenance
If properly taken care of, the hearing aid and cochlear plant can last for life but this comes with maintenance costs for spear parts, batteries among others.

A packet of six power batteries used in a hearing aid costs about sh20, 000 and can last of five months which is fair price.

Spare parts for cochlear implants are much more expensive and yet they are the most effective ones, but cables cost sh500, 000, and sh1.3m for a rechargeable battery.

English, Math Training: How a Mumbai Org is Uplifting Hearing Impaired Kids

Students learning at a TEACH centre.

26.09.2017
TEACH trains students, who have studied in vernacular languages, for three years in English & Maths, starting from grade 10, which prepares them for their higher secondary exams in English.

TEACH, or the Training and Educational Centre for Hearing impaired is an initiative that helps deaf students from vernacular medium schools. It also assists them with higher education and professional advice.

Students, who have studied in vernacular languages, are trained for three years in English & Maths, starting from grade 10, which prepares them for their higher secondary exams (H.S.C) in English.

The criteria to appear in the H.S.C exam in the Maharashtra Board is to clear the English language exam in the S.S.C boards. However, members of TEACH realized that most of these students were taught the equivalent of grade 1 or 2 English and hence, were not equipped to take the H.S.C examination.

TEACH also partners with individual schools to teach kids from grade 7 upwards, to supplement their existing syllabus.

Since TEACH aspires to be the stepping stone for educational success today and tomorrow; the team strategised to reach out to the students in schools and teach them English.

Learning English in school will help them save the first year from the three-year program of higher education. English being the universal language of communication, our aim through ELP is to help the students have a strong English written communication and the required knowledge to lead their life independently.

There are very few deaf people employed in corporate or government jobs as not many qualify/ meet the criteria to be placed in these organisations. The differently abled quota (job) for deaf goes unclaimed as they do not meet the necessary educational qualification for these opportunities.

TEACH wants deaf children to use the opportunity and be eligible for jobs that can have them placed in government & corporate jobs.

They implement the Indian Sign Language (ISL) in their teaching and communication with the students.

The initiative adopts the methodology of “Total Communication” a blend of sign language and oral communication for educating children.

Also, it involves volunteers from top B-schools and colleges well equipped with knowledge sharing skills and will to support.

The initial plan is to reach out to the children all over Mumbai and then extend its reach to the rest of the nation.

By Heena Singh

The team is working and tapping in to each and every possible kind of donation, funding and
means to raise funds which will encourage the students to dream a better future. Along with
reaching out to students in Mumbai, TEACH plans to spread its footprint across cities in the near
future to cater to as many students as possible. To do so they will need help, support, contribution
and encouragement from all quarters.

காதுகேளாதோருக்கு ஒட்டுநர் உரிமம் வழங்கக் கோரி விழிப்புணர்வு பயணம்

Hearing impaired Mallika bags silver at int’l chess meet

Jalandhar, September 24
Bringing laurels to the city, Mallika Handa, who is hearing impaired and a resident of Green Avenue, bagged a silver medal at the 1st Asian Disabled Open Chess Championship held from September 14 to 22 at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. It was her fifth title in a row at the international level.

“After playing seven tough games, Mallika secured a silver medal and missed on gold with half points against a player from Turkestan, who was four times elder than Mallika”, said Mallika’s mother.

She said Mallika faced a tough competition from all opponents in seven games she played and all of them were very much experienced. She said Mallika participated in the open category.

As Mallika was the first Indian girl who won a gold medal in the International Deaf and Dumb Chess Championship that was held in Mongolia in 2015, she holds a tremendous record at the international and national level.

She won gold at the 19th National Championship for the Deaf that was held at Tirur in Kerala in March this year. Mallika had played five chess international championship in which she won three gold and two silver medals.

Deaf but not Dumb – Noida Deaf Society

24.09.2017
Getting up in the morning irritated by the alarm clock, being called for breakfast, hearing your phone ring, being called by your nickname, being teased or teasing others, getting cranky by the traffic noises, shutting yourself out from the world by plugging in your earphones, being shouted at by the boss – which most probably is your wife, going to a Arijit Singh concert and asking for a pass while playing football. These are all the random things you’ve been experiencing in your day to day life but have you ever given thought as to how your life would function in every small aspect if you were not able to hear. Imagine how things would change for you, how difficult little things would become for you and how you would become displeased or happy depending if you are married. Now imagine the life of all those people who’ve got impaired hearing.

Challenges and competence

People with hearing impairments face a lot of challenges related to communication and employment. They are not different in any way except for the fact that the communication methods needed for them are different. Since they need different communication structure their ease of functioning in the society gets hampered with. Thus they face employment problems and problem playing team sports and other interactive sports. But brushing aside the difficulties they have a heightened sense of perception through their eyes. They can’t hear you but they can listen to you through their eyes. Thereby to understand their situation better we need more awareness in our corporates, sports and our social interaction.

Noida Deaf Society
To achieve such motive the Noida Deaf Society organized the ‘RUN FOR HOPE’ marathon at 9th September 2017 near DPS, sector 30, Noida. It was a 3 Km marathon for all where over 200 people participated amongst which most of them were students studying in the Delhi – NCR region affiliated with the Noida deaf Society. They had arranged prizes for the top 3 finishers and what was truly amazing was that the 1’st and the 3’rd position were backed by deaf individuals. They along with students of DPS were able to raise funds for the event through sponsorships, donations and registration fees for the event which benefited the deaf community. To know more about this NGO visit – www.noidadeafsociety.org

Their Motive

They organized this event to promote sports in the deaf community and to motivate them t keep pursuing such activities. It was all meant to bring awareness to the general people about their community and challenges faced by them. It thus was meant for developing an inclusive society with the community being able to involve themselves in society and start functioning with ease.

Conclusion

It is thus required that we bring in awareness of the community and such NGOs and organizations so that these communities are benefitted. What we truly need is not sympathy for such individuals but rather an empathy of their needs and problems. It’s only after we start empathizing and understanding their capabilities, communication and talent would we come to a truly inclusive society. And to achieve this one can’t find a better way than sports for bringing in unity and celebration. Sports thus acts as a way of accepting differences and celebrating inclusive individuality. Therefore sports has such a high value in life and society and must always be supported and promoted.