Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

Putting them on `sound' track

Staff Reporter

TTD plans institute to rectify hearing problems in children

LEND AN EAR: Saraswati Narayanaswami, director of Bala Vidyalaya explaining `Sravanam' project in Tirupati on Sunday. PVRK Prasad, TTD's advisor and APVN Sarma, Executive Officer, are also seen.

TIRUPATI: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will set up an institute to rectify hearing problems in children.

"Sri Venkateswara National Institute of Hearing (SRAVANAM)", a Rs.30-crore project expected to be commissioned soon in the Sapthagiri building, will take care of early identification and intervention in infants with hearing impairment.

A meeting was held here on Sunday to discuss the modalities of the project, which aims to provide advanced treatment and training to redress hearing problems in children.

Saraswati Narayanaswamy, director of Chennai-based Bala Vidyalaya, explained that the training was meant for both the children and their mothers.

Figure-check

"Four out of every 1,000 children have a hearing problem.

If treatment is provided before the child is one year old, the defect can be rectified. Remedy is possible even for up to three years of age," she said.

Advice to mothers

Mothers should be advised not to wait for the child to reach a particular age and instead contact the institute if the child failed to respond to simple sounds, say, fall of a spoon.

TTD's Executive Officer APVN Sarma explained that the new project would add to the scores of institutes run by the TTD as its social responsibility, viz, `Balamandir' for destitute children, BIRRD for the orthopaedically challenged, school for deaf & dumb children, old age home for the orphaned elderly and `Poor Home' for leprosy patients.

TTD's advisor P.V.R.K. Prasad, ENT surgeon Harinath, professor of audiology V.U.Nandur and TTD's chief medical officer D.L. Hari Rao were present.

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