SOCIETY TO AID THE HEARING IMPAIRED

In November of 2004, a group of ENT surgeons, audiologists, and hospital management personnel, united with concerned citizens, to form SAHI. It is an Indian NGO that aims at helping underprivileged children with impaired hearing. SAHI mainly seeks to identify and aid children living in rural areas, with little or no access to modern medical treatment. Since its establishment, SAHI has been addressing this problem by means of conducting camps in remote areas of the state. Children with learning disabilities or hearing loss are given hearing aids by SAHI and those with ear diseases are given free ear surgeries.

DEAF FREE TELANGANA

SAHI will be celebrating the occasion of its 10th anniversary, by initiating an ambitious programme called the ‘Deaf Free Telangana’ project. SAHI is adopting Chevella parliament constituency with the aim of making it a completely deaf free zone in the next two years. The project includes intensive public awareness programmes, regular camps for children below the age of 15, distribution of hearing aids and corrective surgical procedures for the hearing impaired. This programme will be implemented with the help of Apollo Hospitals and Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.

“Every single time you help someone stand up, you are helping humanity rise.”–Dr. Steve Maraboli

India sees approximately 750,000, i.e., 5% of the total population having hearing problems. About 40,000 of these individuals are hearing impaired from birth, or acquire hearing loss during early childhood. If left untreated in the first 3-5 years of life, these children end up remaining hearing and speech challenged throughout their lives.

SAHI team and Apollo are planning to take its first step in creating a deaf free Telangana by conducting its first camp on the 19^th of October in Chevella Town. Apollo medical students are joining hands with SAHI as active volunteers at these camps, hoping to create a better hearing society.