The special ‘BIG EARS’ project was added in 2006 and is housed in the TDH
Rehabilitation Centre. It is the first of its kind in India with a focus on early detection,
diagnosis and therapy of hearing loss. Another area of focus, results from the premise
that people with impaired hearing loss can learn to listen and talk. BIG EARS is the only
centre in Maharashtra which offers all the services needed for the hearing impaired;
from a variety of tests that detect hearing loss to hearing aids, speech therapy,
counselling and cochlear implants for the totally deaf.

KEM Hospital, Pune has established a neonatal hearing screening program, the only
one in Maharashtra, whereby every baby born at KEM is assessed for hearing loss
before discharge. Special attention is paid to children in the Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit (NICU) as these premature, low birth weight babies are at a high risk to develop
deafness.

Early Detection and Intervention

2 in every 1000 children are born deaf in India. Our infant screening programme
ensures that every baby born at KEM Hospital undergoes hearing evaluation before
leaving the hospital. We offer early fitting of hearing aids and training of speech and
language development as early as 3 months of age.