PSG hospitals provide Rs 90 lakh hearing aids to children

PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, in collaboration with Shanti Ashram, the Medical Intervention Team from Germany and the International Centre for Public Health, has provided hearing aids worth Rs 90 lakh to 37 underprivileged children and students.
The initiative aims to offer early intervention and support for children with hearing impairments. Under the programme, the Medical Intervention Team sponsors the hearing aids, Shanti Ashram undertakes screening and identification of beneficiaries, and PSG Hospitals provides medical support.
The hearing aids are manufactured by Pavel Hörgeräte, a Germany-based company specialising in audiology, and are custom-made for each child.
The collaboration, which began in 2024, has now entered its third consecutive year, with a German team visiting annually to provide hearing aids free of cost.
A press meet held at PSG Hospitals highlighted the initiative. J S Bhuvaneswaran, Director of PSG Super Speciality Hospital, Kezevino Aram, President of Shanti Ashram and Founder President of the International Centre for Public Health, Barun Sarkar from the Medical Intervention Team, Roland Teprt, ENT and paedaudiology specialist from the team, and Dayanand and Karthikeyan from PSG Hospitals addressed the media.
Beneficiary children and their parents shared their experiences. Some said they were able to hear clearly even in noisy environments using the devices.
Kezevino Aram said the initiative is transforming lives and noted that the number of beneficiaries has increased from 30 last year to 37 this year, with plans to expand further.
She added that the programme has reached more people across Tamil Nadu through awareness campaigns and screening camps, with more beneficiaries identified for the coming year.
She emphasised that the effort includes continuous follow-up, with PSG and the International Centre for Public Health monitoring beneficiaries and the Medical Intervention Team providing batteries for the devices. Screening is conducted through schools, camps and referrals from government and clinical sources.
J S Bhuvaneswaran stressed the importance of early detection, stating that newborn hearing should be tested within 30 days and ENT examinations are essential before schooling. Barun Sarkar highlighted the importance of hearing in overall development and affirmed continued support for the initiative.
Over the past three years, the partnership has covered around 60,000 children through screening programmes across schools in Perur and Madukkarai blocks.
It has facilitated international medical exchanges, trained over 100 frontline workers and provided hearing aids and related support worth Rs 1.79 crore.
Screening infrastructure and equipment worth Rs 36 lakh have also been established at PSG Hospitals and the International Centre for Public Health.
The initiative is being carried out with support from district authorities, voluntary organisations and partner schools, aiming to expand services for children with hearing disabilities across the region.