CHENNAI: The medical fraternity should carry forward the Government's Rubella eradication programme on the lines of pulse polio project by spreading the need to vaccinate children against the infection, said the Minister for Social Welfare B. Poongothai, on Sunday. The three main causes for deafness were consanguineous marriages, Rubella infection and preventable middle ear infection. Vaccination against Rubella would reduce the chances of deafness and mental retardation, she said.

The State has around 1,07,600 deaf children below the age of 14. Research revealed that institutional care for special children did not help as much as care from parents and family. "Institutional care is not a wholesome care," said the minister.

She called for educating, counselling and empathising with families who have special children.

Dr. Poongothai gave away Doctor's Day excellence awards to senior practitioners N. Rangabashyam, B.R. Nammalwar, K.M. Radhakrishnan, S.K. Rajan, S. Devambigai, V. Kanagaraj and E. Rabindranath.

Twenty-five senior practitioners from each branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Chennai and the suburbs were also honoured. Joint secretary, headquarters, New Delhi Dharam Prakash, national president M. Bala Subramaniam, Captain G. Raghavelu, State president N. Muthurajan, joint secretary, Tamil Nadu branch, also spoke.

Earlier, the Teynampet branch of the association organised a continuing medical education programme on avian flu at the HUMA Specialists Hospital and Research Centre at Nandanam.

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