The Hindu : Society for hearing impaired formed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 28, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Society for hearing impaired formed

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JAN.27. The Andhra Pradesh Right to Hearing Society, the first of its kind in the country, was formed here on Tuesday with the aim of preventing, diagnosing and controlling deafness as also rehabilitating people suffering from hearing impairment.

Announcing the decision to start the Society after a high level meeting, the Health Minister, Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, said that the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, would be the chairman and the Health Minister the vice-chairman with a governing body constituted by the Government.

A press release issued by the Health Minister's office said that reliable surveys project that about 30 per cent of the population have varied degree of deafness. About 25,000 children born every year with deafness in the country face the danger of permanently becoming hearing impaired due to lack of new-born hearing screening programme. About 50 per cent of cases of deafness could be corrected by surgery while the remaining could be helped with suitable hearing aids. It was alarming to note that five per cent of the country's population suffer from ear discharge as a result of ear infection which not only leads to deafness but also causes life-threatening complications.

The release said that about 15-17 per cent of school-going children have varied degree of hearing loss which was leading to considerable school drop out rate. " We should have well structured school screening programme to prevent this problem", the Minister said.

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Andhra Pradesh