NISH to have two regional centres

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 31. The National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH) would soon have two regional centres--at Ernakulam and Kozhikode--the Director of NISH, Mr. G. Vijayaraghavan, said here on Saturday.

The foundation-stone for the campus of NISH, to be set up in 15 acres donated by Technopark at Aakkulam, was laid today by the Chief Minister, Mr. E. K. Nayanar.

The Chief Minister described the setting up of the National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH) as one of the major achievements of the Left Government.

The institute, which offers speech therapy, special schooling and rehabilitation for hearing impaired children, was the first of its kind in the State, he said.

Formally inaugurated in October 1997, NISH has in the past three years gone much ahead, with its special school for hearing impaired children as well as training programmes for teaching such children. The dedication and commitment shown by the NISH personnel in developing the institute as a premier one in the country was exemplary, he said.

"The children from NISH had met me last summer. I was amazed by their show of talent and the superb training they seemed to have had at NISH. But at the same time, I was pained and could imagine the anguish of their parents. My sense of gratification at that moment, at having set up such an institution was immense," Mr. Nayanar said.

Presiding over the function, the Minister for Social Welfare, Ms. Suseela Gopalan, who is also the chairperson of the governing council of NISH, said that NISH would be extending its programmes to other districts also.

The main aim of NISH was to bring children with hearing impairment into the mainstream and it was a triumph was the organisation that this year, 14 of its students were admitted to regular school, she said.

Apart from the therapy for children, NISH was also paying special attention to their psychological and social needs and parents were also being given training on the upbringing of children with hearing impairment, she said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Film festival draws crowd
Next     : VC's call to harness youth potential