AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Gets Outreach Centre For Communication Disorders

Bhubaneswar: The city-based AIIMS is among six medical institutes in the country to get an ‘Outreach Service Centre For Communication Disorders’.

The six centres were inaugurated virtually by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday. They were opened by the India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), Mysuru on the occasion of World Hearing Day.

The other five centres are Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science, Patna, Bihar; Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences, Bidar, Karnataka; Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences, Belagavi, Karnataka; Karnataka Institute of Medical Science, Hubli, Karnataka and Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research, Kolar, Karnataka.

The minister congratulated AIISH for launching six new ‘Outreach Service Centres for Communication Disorders’ across the country.

“The number of individuals existing with such disorders and the lack of professionals and specialists to cater the need for this population warrants the need for initiation of Outreach Service Centers in hospitals across the country.” the minister said.

“We should aim to reach out to the underserved and unserved areas in the country to cater to the needs of individuals with communication disorders. This will enable early identification and diagnosis of communication disorder and early intervention, thereby preventing further deficits in speech, language and cognition and facilitating the overall development of the child,” he added.