KOCHI: In a possibly first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the Kerala government will conduct a screening for children below the age of six years to detect, prevent and reverse hearing impairment.
The pilot project of ‘Kaathoram’ - under the Department of Social Justice and the Kerala Social Security Mission (KSSM) - will be launched in Thrissur district in November. It will be extended to other districts next year.
H Dineshan, director of the Kerala Social Security Mission, told TNIE that the project will be implemented with the help of the local self-governments and anganwadis.
“Around five lakh infants are born in the state every year. However, only around two lakh children undergo hearing screening after birth as the facility is available only in government hospitals and a few private hospitals. We are missing out on the other three lakh children. According to studies and experts, hearing loss can be completely reversed and treated if detected before the age of three. The screening aims to identify children with hearing impairment and provide them treatment and assistance,” he said.
According to Dineshan, the project being implemented under the Anuyatra scheme of KSSM is the first-of-its-kind in the country.
“We selected Thrissur and identified 1.58 lakh children below six there. With the help of the local bodies, we intend to bring these children and parents to the anganwadis for screening,” he said, adding that Rs 28 lakh has been allotted by the state government for the project.
“We are training our staff at the National Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, under the social justice department, to screen the children,” he said.
According to an official with the KSSM, the first phase of the project, once implemented, will be completed in three months.
“It will be easier for us to conduct screening once the first phase is completed. We can also make changes in the procedure accordingly while implementing it in other districts. The association with other departments can help in screening, identifying, and treating children,” said the official, adding that a district-level committee has been constituted for the implementation of the project.