Kasturba Medical College Mangaluru, a Constituent unit of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in association with ‘Pai Family Endowment (in memory of Shri Suhas Gopal Pai) as its social initiative will be inaugurating A newborn hearing assessment centre at Govt. Lady Goshen Hospital 9 AM on Tuesday the 7th January 2020.
Mangaluru: Dr M Venkatraya Prabhu, Dean of KMC Mangaluru addressing the media persons during a press meet held at Mangaluru Press Club introduced the members on the panel and informed that the project is made possible by the generous philanthropic contribution of Mrs.Anuradha (Shanthi)Gopal Pai and will be inaugurated by her in Presence of Dr H Vinod Bhat, Vice-Chancellor of MAHE. He further said, “Kasturba Medical College Mangaluru, a Constituent unit of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in association with ‘Pai Family Endowment (in memory of Shri Suhas Gopal Pai) as its social initiative will be inaugurating A newborn hearing assessment centre at Govt. Lady Goshen Hospital 9 AM on Tuesday the 7th January 2020”.
Dr Deepak Madi, Deputy Medical Superintendent KMC Hospital Attavar explained that the facility will be managed by the departments from Audiology, ENT and Paediatrics of Kasturba Medical College, Mangaluru. The Centre aims to screen all the babies born in the hospital for hearing loss. This is the maiden initiative of the MAHE-Pai Family endowment which has been set up to find solutions for the numerous challenges faced by the hearing handicapped in & around Dakshina Kannada district.
Anuradha (Shanthi) Gopal Pai, the Donor mentioned that as a primary venture, the project seeks to increase awareness and facilitate neonatal screening for deafness across the district. The endowment will also help in meeting the expenditure incurred towards the rehabilitation of deafness (with hearing aids or cochlear implantation) in the financially weaker sections of the society.
Dr Suja Sreedharan, Professor& Unit Chief of ENT Dept. KMC Hospital mentioned the need of screening for hearing loss of newborn and explained the process in which it will happen. Dr Suja also told that the new born hearing assessment centre in Lady Goschen Hospital will screen about 10,000 babies a year.
After the Inaugural at Govt. Lady Goshen Hospital, there will be a Stage program at Dr TMA Pai International Convention Centre to thank & felicitate the Donors of this project. Following this, there will also be a sensitization program to the ASHA workers of the District on newborn hearing assessment at Sushrutha Hall, KMC Hospital Attavar, Mangaluru. It was also mentioned during the press meet if anyone has used Hearing aid equipment, can donate it to this Centre.
Dr Alfred Augustine-Additional Dean of KMC, Mangaluru; Dr Nutan Kamath-Assocaite Dean KMC Mangaluru, Dr John Ramapuram- Medical Superintendent, KMC Hospital, Attavar and Rakesh Darshan-Deputy Manager, KMC Attavar Marketing Dept were also present during the press meet.
