PRERANA has taken up an ambitious project- Mission Shravan – A Project for the hearing impaired children of Assam in association with National Health Mission, Assam and Ideal Charity, Manchester, U.K.
In Assam, 4.80 Lakhs people (Census 2011) suffering from one or the other kind of disability. This is equivalent to 1.54% of the total population. Among the total disabled in the State of Assam, 2.57 Lakhs are males and 2.22 Lakhs are females. In Assam, total 1,01,577 numbers of disabled persons with hearing disability reported in Census 2011, out of which 5,092 are 0-4 years. Similarly, 28,744 numbers of persons 0-19 years reported with hearing disability in the State. As such, a lot of work was needed in this area of hearing impaired. With great enthusiasm, Prerana took up the project and all the members of Prerana involved themselves in bringing the Project to the small children specially those who were around 0-8 years and in need of immediate help to restore this impairment. Prerana took up the task of finding sponsors for this Project and due to the efforts of the members, tremendous response from sponsors were received.
Around 160 hearing impaired small children belonging to poor families in the District of Kamrup, Kamrup (m), Nagaon and Nalbari has been identified through the help of Social Welfare Department for this project in the pilot phase. National Health Mission, Assam organized special camps for children having hearing disability. In this regard the Health Department especially NHM has rendered tremendous contribution by facilitating and bringing the children to Guwahati for conducting all the medical tests in MMC Hospital and GMC which was required for preparing specific moulds for making the hearing -aids of individual children. The block level officials of NHM along with a few Anganwadi and Asha workers has immensely contributed in this Project by motivating and dealing with the children and their parents/ Guardians.They have played a crucial role in spreading awareness of this Project in the interior areas and convincing the people to attend the health camps arranged at Guwahati. Ideal Charity, Manchester, UK also came forward to donate the hearing aids for the needy children. Ideal charity aims to advance the education of deaf persons in less developed countries particularly by provision of education, training, equipment and funding. All their present work is in India and they concentrate on hearing impairment in young children. DrNarveshwarSinha, MBBS, MS, DLO, MRCGP, PhD (Cambridge) is a doctor, originally qualified in India but now settled in UK. He has over three decades of ENT experience. He has worked intensively in the field of deafness.
A total 160 numbers of children participated in the camp out of which 93 children identified and found fit for providinghearing aids.In the first phase, 63 hearing aids was provided on 14th February 2016 in a grand launching programme inaugurated by Hon”ble Chief Minister, Assam.
Many dignitaries and distinguished guests including Shri V.K Pipersenia , Chief Secretary of Assam, Shri MGVK Bhanu, Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Dr Ashok Babu, Mission Director, NHM, Smt Dolly Gogoi and Dr.Narveshwar Sinha were present. In this ceremony, Dr.Narveshwar Sinha from Ideal Charity, Manchester UK, implanted the Hearing aids to the 63 children. PRERANA has also prepared for speech therapy of the children in the next stage.
The Challenges that were faced
Detection and management of hearing impaired children was a long process and the beneficiaries needed to visit the health facility several times to complete the treatment. Candidates for cochlear implantation requires a medical evaluation by an otolaryngologist, including history, physical examination etc. and those children’s were required a long term observation and continuous support. A cochlear implant is indicated only after the child has had a sufficient trial with hearing Aid amplification. Many children also were found to be suffering from hearing problems due to ear infections.
Transportation and logistics arrangement of the children and parent for these multiple visit for the detection and management of hearing impairment.
Future Issues to be resolved
At present there is no single point to provide comprehensive service delivery to the hearing disability .Non- accessibility of comprehensive center/Institute to provide hearing Aid in the state is another challenge for the beneficiaries with Hearing disability. There is a need of a comprehensive rehabilitation care center for the Hearing impaired children in the state for the management and treatment of Hearing Impairment.
After imparting the hearing aid, the children need the assistance of speech therapist to complete the treatment. There is scarcity of speech therapist in Assam. However, Steps in this regard is already being initiated.
Media Links:
- http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=feb1516/city055
- http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/showpage.asp?id=feb2016,6,87,1242,333,924
- http://www.eastern-today.com/entries/assam/assam-cm-announces-rs-20-crore-to-project-shravan
