| Dear friends, |
| I am greatly honoured and proud for having been elected
as the president of AOI Kerala State branch. Let me express my heartfelt
gratitude to all the members of AOI Kerela state branch for electing
me unanimously to this coveted post of our association. |
| An unanimous election symbolises the unity and strength
of our organisation which is the need of the hour. I promise that
I will try my level best to keep the unity and dignity of our association
with your help, guidance and blessings. |
| The annual state conference of AOI has returned to
Thrissur after a gap of 6yrs. Incidentally, it is here that a strong
concerted move initiated in 2001, formed a united Kerala State Branch
by amalgamating the erstwhile Kerala Branch representing the Travancore-Cochin
regions and the Malabar Branch. The move bore fruit and the results
are there for all of us to see. The united Kerala State Branch of
AOI has grown from strength to strength over the last seven years,
after the inaugural conference held at Kozhikode in 2002. There after
we have been holding regular well attended Annual Conferences which
have provided a platform for scientific and social interactions amongst
Kerala’s eight hundred E.N.T Surgeons. |
| Our MOTTO and THEME:- |
This year our motto and theme is “Friendship,
Membership and Leadership”.
You have to make good friendship with your fellow men and enrol them
as life members and encourage them to become the leaders of tomorrow.
As membership is our strength, an intensive membership drive has to
be launched to enrol as many life members as possible within a short
period. This is essential for Kerala’s voice to be heard loud
and clear at the national level as well as for our ENT surgeons to
get the benefits of accruing from membership of National AOI, like
receiving the Indian Journal of Otolaryngology, getting information
and intimations regarding various CME programmes, workshops and conferences
being held in various parts of India and abroad. These will help us
to be better informed and trained ENT surgeons, which, in turn, will
benefit us and this society as a whole by way of our ability to provide
better service to our patients. |
| The first qualified ENT Surgeon in India Dr. K. P.
Raman Pillai FRCS was from Kerala. That was in 1922, 88 yrs ago. A
quarter of a century after that in 1947, when the National E.N.T Association
was formed, it’s first President was also another Keralite ,
Dr. P. V. Cherian, who was based in Chennai. Thereafter, there has
been no AOI National President from Kerala. It is high time that we
make an organised effort to see that a National A.O.I president is
elected from Kerala. |
| PUBLIC ACTIVITIES OF AOI: |
| We have to give much importance to conduct public health
activities. Most of the chapters are regular in their work. |
1. Medical Camps.
2. Public Health Awareness Programmes.
3. C.M.E.
4. Seminars.
5. Cultural and Social functions. |
| CARE OF CONGENITALY DEAF CHILDREN: |
| Identification of congenitally deaf children and taking
them back to the world of speech and hearing is one of our major measures
in practice. Incidence of congenitally deaf children is on the increase. |
| Early detection and management is the prime requirement.
In the case of totally deaf children cochlear implantation is the
only remedy to take them back to the world of hearing. Cochlear implantation
should be done at about the age of 2 yrs, so that the deaf child can
acquire speech. Hence early identification of deaf children by audiological
tests, immediately after they are born is essential. First stage will
be to establish screening centres with OAE in all major hospitals
for the detection of congenitally deaf born children, then, we should
start an insurance scheme, involving all live births in our state.
Government participation and an insurance scheme to meet the expenses
of cochlear implantation will be the only solution to tackle this
major problem. |
| PROJECTS OF AOI: |
| For our members and their family we can launch Health,
Accident, Pension and Family Benefit schemes. |
| I solicit your whole hearted cooperation, support and
good creative suggestions to make the year fruitful to the association
and the society as well. |
Thank you
Long Live AOI
Dr.K.V.Devadas
President AOI Kerala State Branch
|
