'Create awareness on new born hearing screening programme'

The Indian Society of Otology should work for creating an awareness about the need for a universal new-born hearing screening programme in India, state Governor, Justice (Retd) P Sathasivam said here today.
"According to statistics of World Health Organisation, more than 360 million people worldwide have hearing loss. The number is almost five per centof the world population and consists of 328 million adults and32 million children. Hence otologists have a great role to play in today's society by providing cure to people with hearing problems," he said.
Speaking after inaugurating the 25th annual national conferenceof the Society (ISOCON-2016), Sathasivam said an otologist's timely intervention not only improves a person's health, but instills confidence to face the world.

He complimented the Indian Society of Otology (ISO) for their efforts in perfecting the latest trends in surgery and said it was through such efforts that the standard of ear surgery in India had been rated as world class.
ISO national president Dr A P Sambandan,presided the conference.
Nearly 1,200 ENT surgeons, including 50 from abroad, are attending the conference.

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Later, speaking after inaugurating the centenary
celebrationsof the Kozhikode branch of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, the Governor said the institution had a phenomenal growth under Dr P K Varier.
More than 55,000 patients receive free medical consultation every year from the branch, which is the first branch outside Kottakkal, he added.

On the issue of quacks, Governor Sathasivam said it is a serious issue in all systems of medicine. "We need to ensure quality and authenticity in the field of medicine. Institutions should come forward to expose these quacks in the eyes of the society".
Traditional ways of treatment like the heriditary Ayurveda treatment have been neglected by the modern society,which should be checked, he said. Stressing the importance of tree planting, he said people should try to plant atleast three medicinal plants wherever they find space in their home.