Higher Education
Colleges in South India
Educational News Today
Wednesday, Jul 14, 2010
Chief Minister sanctions Rs.1.5 crore to subsidise cochlear implant surgeries
Chennai: A new B.Sc course in Audiology and Speech Therapy would be started at the Madras Medical College, here, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam has said.
The course will be offered by the Institute of Speech and Hearing at the College. A total of 25 students will be admitted beginning this academic year, he added. It was a course that had excellent job opportunities, considering the demand all over the State and the country for speech and audiology therapists.
Mr. Panneerselvam was speaking at a function to distribute hearing aids to beneficiaries and launch the cochlear implant programme of the Oto Rhino Laryngology department, MMC.
A total of 50 hearing aids, a gesture of charity by the department, were distributed to deserving candidates.
He also announced that the Chief Minister had sanctioned a sum of Rs.1.5 crore to subsidise cochlear implant surgery under the Chief Minister's Insurance scheme.
Further, under the Insurance scheme, 1.43 lakh surgeries had been completed and a sum of Rs.388.78 crore spent.
K. Balakumar, head of the department, said the break up of funding for the cochlear implant surgery done entirely free of cost at the Government General Hospital was as follows: Rs.1 lakh under the CM's Insurance Scheme; Rs.1 lakh as contribution from Star Health; the remaining Rs.3 lakh would be made good by the State government. The Rs.1.5 crore would go towards paying this last component for 50 children, he added.
There were already 40 children identified and on the waiting list.
While one surgery had already been completed in May, the next surgery has been scheduled for the end of the month.
Dr. Balakumar urged the government to sanction Rs.15 lakh towards buying diagnostic equipment for the department immediately.
B.Sc in Audiology from this academic year: Health Minister
Chief Minister sanctions Rs.1.5 crore to subsidise cochlear implant surgeries
Chennai: A new B.Sc course in Audiology and Speech Therapy would be started at the Madras Medical College, here, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam has said.
The course will be offered by the Institute of Speech and Hearing at the College. A total of 25 students will be admitted beginning this academic year, he added. It was a course that had excellent job opportunities, considering the demand all over the State and the country for speech and audiology therapists.
A total of 50 hearing aids, a gesture of charity by the department, were distributed to deserving candidates.
He also announced that the Chief Minister had sanctioned a sum of Rs.1.5 crore to subsidise cochlear implant surgery under the Chief Minister's Insurance scheme.
Further, under the Insurance scheme, 1.43 lakh surgeries had been completed and a sum of Rs.388.78 crore spent.
K. Balakumar, head of the department, said the break up of funding for the cochlear implant surgery done entirely free of cost at the Government General Hospital was as follows: Rs.1 lakh under the CM's Insurance Scheme; Rs.1 lakh as contribution from Star Health; the remaining Rs.3 lakh would be made good by the State government. The Rs.1.5 crore would go towards paying this last component for 50 children, he added.
There were already 40 children identified and on the waiting list.
While one surgery had already been completed in May, the next surgery has been scheduled for the end of the month.
Dr. Balakumar urged the government to sanction Rs.15 lakh towards buying diagnostic equipment for the department immediately.
Courtesy: The Hindu
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