New ‘Audiology Unit’ of Father Muller College of Speech and Hearing to be Inaugurated on February 23
Mangaluru: Father Muller College of Speech and Hearing is a unit of father Muller charitable institutions which began in 2007, by providing a graduate-level programme under nomenclature Bachelors in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. The college is permanently affiliated to Mangalore University, recognized by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), the college also as obtained 2(f) and 12(B) University Grants Commission (UGC) and is accreditated by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
Communication is one of the important aspects of human life. Among the 5 special senses which human being are equipped, with the sense of hearing plays a vital role in effective communication. For identification of hearing and communication disability sophisticated equipment and good clinical infrastructure is highly essential. In this context, the hospital is inaugurating a new “Audiology Unit” on 23-02-2019 at Father Muller Medical College Hospital premises.
The Father Muller Medical College Hospital has the Department of Speech and Hearing, which is catering its services for all types of communication disorders including stuttering, Voice disorders, Learning Disability in Children, Autism, Dysarthria, Speech and Language rehabilitation for stroke affected people. The department also equipped with equipment for Diagnosis of various types of hearing disorders in children and adults.
Early intervention is a key factor in the rehabilitation of Speech and Hearing challenge. In order to conduct early identification test, there is a need for precise high fidelity diagnostic equipment. In this regard, the Father Muller Medical College Hospital is now bringing up with state of art diagnostic and rehabilitation equipment under an umbrella called Unit of Audiology and Unit of Speech-Language Pathology in the hospital OPD premises.
The highlights of the audiology unit are, a comprehensive vestibular disorder assessment and management clinic. A state of art Head Impulse Test (VHIT) for earlier identification of vestibular disorder (balance disorder) is installed which is first of its kind in Dakshina Kannada District.
To identify and diagnose the hearing disorder in children, a separate Pediatric Audiology unit has been constructed which is outfitted with sophisticated visual reinforcement audiometric (VRA) for diagnostic hearing disorder in children. We are glad to say that this is also first of its kind in this region.
Apart from this the Audiology Unit, the department provides services for hearing aid trial and hearing aid dispensing electrophysiological tests like BSERA, Diagnostic OAE.
The Speech-Language Pathology Unit is operational with speech science lab which is a special instrument which has the software for diagnosis of voice disorders, fluency disorders and Articulation Disorders. We are glad to inform that a stroboscope instrument is installed in the Speech-language Pathology Unit which will help to give the live video of Vocal Cords (Voice Box) and help in the diagnosis of various voice disorders. This is the first instrument to be installed in a Speech and Hearing College in this region.
The Father Muller Charitable Institutions Director Rev. Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho explains the need of such sophisticated instrument and he said that these instruments will help in early identification and thus this will foster the early rehabilitation of Speech and Hearing disability. In continuation to this, he said the Father Muller Medical College Hospital was the first to start universal newborn Hearing Screening programme which is commonly performed in the western country hospitals. The data of Father Muller Medical College Hospital Newborn hearing screening programme has helped to initiate the early intervention rehabilitation measures for the Speech and Hearing Disability.
The Administrator of Father Muller Medical College Hospital Rev. Fr Rudolph Ravi D’sa explained the service delivery procedures of Speech and Hearing Department. He added that these procedures are available at affordable prices when compared to other private sectors. The Father Muller College of Speech and Hearing staffs are specialized in respective fields of communication disability. The head of the Father Muller College Prof. Akhilesh P.M., who is specialized in Audiology and Aural Rehabilitation. He said these services will be available to the public from 23rd February 2019 onwards. The New Audiology Unit will be inaugurated by the Chief guest Dr Zabidi AM Hussin, Vice Chancellor, Peradana University, Malaysia and blessed by Most Rev. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore and President of Father Muller Charitable Institutions along with Rev. Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho, Director, Father Muller Charitable Institutions, Rev. Fr Rudolph Ravi D’sa, Administrator, Father Muller Medical College Hospital, Rev. Fr Ajith B Menezes, Administrator, Father Muller Medical College and Dr B Sanjeev Rai Chairman, Father Muller Research Centre.