Five more institutes of speech and hearing have been proposed to be set up in the country.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan said here today, the centres to be set up in the next five years would be at different locations. Prime Minister had promised funds for the new centres.
He was inaugurating a series of activities at the Mysore’s All India Institute of Speech and Hearing. They included inaugurating the newly-built audiology block, initiating activities of the knowledge park, launch of architectural design of a centre of excellence and the concept launch of a museum, the first of its kind.
He called on states to come forward to set up speech and hearing institutes by not just offering land but by coming forward to provide committed service to the people. Whichever state comes forward to accept the proposal, would be given priority in setting up the proposed institutes, the minister said.
He was happy that the AIISH had linkages with 11 medical colleges across the country. It should extend to all 400 medical colleges, Harsh Vardhan said and suggested making use of telemedicine for extending the expertise to a larger section of the affected.
He underlined the need to create awareness among women in this regard as a number of children were being born with speech and hearing disabilities in the country.
Stressing the need to make the country free of speech and hearing disorders, he lamented that several research studies have not been adopted and had remained at the research stage.
Karnataka’s Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader also stressed the need to make the country free of speech and hearing disorders.
There were doubts about making the country free of polio. But that objective had been successfully achieved. Similar effort was called for in making the country free of speech and hearing disorders, he said.
District incharge and Revenue Minister V Sreenivasa Prasad assured to provide land for the AIISH to extend its activities.
The Union Minister also visited the K R Hospital and told the doctors and staff to maintain cleanliness. He said, 85 per cent death of just-born and mothers could be prevented by taking adequate precautionary measures. He urged the doctors to prescribe free low-cost medicines provided by the government to patients instead of prescribing the expensive drugs.
