Docs survey village of hearing impaired

Ashok Raina

Advertisement

Kangra, January 27

A team of doctors from Tanda medical college visited Dadhkai village in Gundoh tehsil of Doda district to ascertain the causes of hearing loss in residents.

Dr Anil Chauhan, principal, Tanda medical college, said: “The place is known as the ‘’Village of Silence’’. It is spread over 3 square miles and is located over a hillock connecting Gundoh thorough a bridge. The village was established in 1901 by Mir Ali and over 300 families live in 250 houses.”

He said the number of hearing and speech impaired persons in 1990 was 43. The team conducted a house-to-house survey in 2014 and found 73 such persons.

In addition to a clinical exam, the team also studied the genetic makeup of the villagers. This helped the experts learn that the disability was transferred from one generation to the other.

The supervision was part of the ‘’ICMR task force project on congenital deafness in Dadhkai village’’.

Chauhan said the team of doctors included Dr AK Bhardwaj, head of the Community Medicine Department, Dr Munish Saroch, Associate Professor, ENT, and Dr Sunil Raina, Associate Professor, Community Medicine. He said the investigators were feom from AIIMS, New Delhi, ICMR, New Delhi, JNCSAR, Bengaluru, and ASCOMS, Jammu.

He said 200 blood samples were sent to JNCSAR, Bengaluru, for DNA mapping of the individuals. “This will help us reach the causes of hearing loss,” Chauhan said. The team appreciated the efforts of 26 Rashtriya Rifles.