CHENNAI : The Institute of Speech and Hearing at the Government General Hospital has nearly come to a standstill for want of faculty, speech pathologists and audiologists. The reason: shortage of funds, say institute sources.

Two speech therapists and two post-graduate students are available at the 34-year-old institute, but it needs a surgeon, an assistant surgeon, five audiologists and speech therapists. With a full faculty the hospital could also offer diploma courses in audiology and speech therapy. Higher incentives would be needed to retain audiologists and speech therapists, says a senior surgeon. "We see a lot of children, at least 10-15 a day, who will benefit if audiologists and speech therapists are available."

Corroborating this are the findings of a survey conducted for Saidapet Corporation Maternity hospital by the Madras ENT-Research Foundation, run by well-known surgeon Mohan Kameswaran. The survey found that at least one in every 100 new born may suffer hearing loss. He says that at least 16 to 17 per cent of patients walking into a hospital come for ENT problems. "At least eight per cent of students in a classroom may suffer from partial hearing loss," Dr. Mohan notes. But the 50 audiologists in the city are hardly enough for the large number of patients referred from other district hospitals for diagnosis and treatment. Only four districts in the State have two speech therapists and audiologists each. The requirement is at least four in each specialisation.

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