200 million suffer from hearing loss

 

Chennai: At least 200 million people in India suffer from some degree of hearing loss, with not even 10 per cent having access to hearing aids, said Prof. Dr. Mohan Kames­waran of the Madras ENT Research Foundation (MERF).

 

 He was speaking on Saturday, Indian Speech and Hearing Day, at the launch of the world's first CE-approved, software-based combined hearing aid and music player with hearing loss compensation in a mobile phone. MERF and Jacoti, Belgium-based hearing technology company, have come up with the mobile app called Jacoti Listen App that can be downloaded for Rs 500. It has a local and remote web based fitting platform to allow the user to customise the audio settings .

 

Dr Ranjith Rajeswaran, principal of MERF Institute of Speech and Hearing, said that another app, called Classmate, had been developed by Jacoti for easy listening by school children, said Dr. Kameswaran.

 

A workshop on vocal arts and science,  an initiative by MERF and Lamar University, USA, was also conducted. A library at MERF was inaugurated in honour of late Dr. Sadhanand Singh, the founder and CEO Plural publishing company in Sandiego/Brisbane. Renowned musician T.N Seshagopalan gave away certificates to those who completed the training programme in vocal arts and science.