No-1, I Cross Street, Off. II Main Road,   Raja Annamalaipuram,Chennai – 600 028.
+ 91 44-24 311 411 / 412 / 413 / 414 / 415 + 91 44-24 311 416 merfmk30@yahoo.com
Flag Counter
Department of community ent

The MobileENT Unit at MERF are among the best in the country. The salient features include:

'Hearing loss' is totally neglected in our country and many patients suffer with this 'silent handicap'. It is a 'double tragedy' as they do not get the sympathy like the blind.
In this connection, we received a Mobile ENT Unit for a deserving cause for Indian Bank on the mark of completion of its Centenary year.

We have a 'Department of Community ENT', which is the first of its kind in India in the private sector. Under the aegis of this Department, the Mobile ENT Unit, which is fitted with the latest Equipment for testing hearing, will travel the length and breadth of the State, from village to village, with qualified and well trained ENT surgeons and audiologists and conduct systematic evaluation of hearing loss in our state.

    1. The Mobile ENT Unit is the first of its kind in the whole country.
    2. It will go from village to village and conduct a survey of common ENT disorders particularly to evaluate prevalence of hearing loss in children.

It is estimated in India, 1 out of 1000 children is born with profound deafness, and the estimate may vary from 3 to 6 million children who are affected by profound deafness, although the exact figures are not known and this varies from region to region. There is an urgent need for a specialty hospital and a research unit like ours to reach out to the rural masses to:

  1. Diagnose and establish the prevalence of hearing loss.
  2. Educate the public about the options and various olutions available.
  3. Carry out minor interventions at the village level wherever possible
  4. Transport and bring children and adults who are in need of detailed investigations and workup to the main facility in Chennai

This mobile unit will act as a bridge between our parent unit in Chennai and the rural population of Tamil Nadu who form the largest group. Eventually its activity will widen beyond the state to include other states of our country. Thus we have intend to create the first accurate map of the prevalence of deafness in our country. The focus will be particularly on children. It will be the endeavor of this unit to identify preventable causes of deafness and carry out remedial measures. As follow up, poor patients who require surgery will undergo free surgery at our main hospital.
Thus Indian Bank is a partner in this noble and long cherished dream of MERF by creating the first comprehensive community ENT service in India. Indian Bank has sponsored the Air conditioned Force Traveller Ambulance fitted with Speech Audiometer Maico MA53, microscope and ENT equipments On August 19th, Indian Bank organized a function at Image Auditoruim, Chennai where Dr. Kalaignar M.Karunanidhi, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was the Chief Guest and Thiru. P.Chidambaram, Union Minister of Finance, Government of India was the Guest of Honour. In this ceremonious occassion Dr. Mohan Kameswaran and Mrs. Indira M.Kameswaran received the keys of the Mobile ENT Unit from Thiru P.Chidambaram.

Dr. Mohan Kameswaran and Mrs. Indira M.Kameswaran receiving keys of the Mobile ENT Unit from Thiru P.Chidambaram, Union Minister of Finance, Government of India
Mobile ENT Unit sponsored by Indian Bank

Department of community Otolaryngology

Madras ENT research foundation has a specialized community ENT department which is the brain child of Prof. Mohan Kameswaran. The main aim of establishing a department, the first of its kind in the country in otolaryngology, is to make available the 'State of the art' ENT facility to the under privileged poorer sector of the society free of cost or at low cost. The department has been carrying out various social activities time and again by way of free ENT and hearing screening camps and surgeries for the needy patients.

The activities of the department include
  1. Free newborn hearing screening at Saidapet Maternity hospital every week on Monday and Thursday.
  2. Free newborn hearing screening and Speech clinic at Institute of child health, Egmore every week on Tuesday and Friday
  3. Free hearing and speech and language services and ENT evaluation for children with Down's syndrome.
  4. Free ENT examination and audiological testing with hearing aid trial for the hearing impaired referred from Palanpur Jain association which is a social welfare organization
  5. Periodical free hearing screening camps all over Tamilnadu for children under 12 years of age in association with the Rotary club of Chennai.
  6. Free ENT camps in and around Chennai and also in other distant places in Tamilnadu in association with Rotary and Lions clubs and other voluntary social welfare organizations
  7. Advanced ENT and audiological evaluation if needed for the patients examined in the camps is done at a very low cost depending upon their socioeconomic status.
  8. ENT and Head and neck surgeries are also performed at a very low cost for poor patients diagnosed to have ENT and head and neck diseases during camps
  9. The necessary investigations and preoperative work up is done at very nominal charges for camp patients

department is equipped with a Mobile unit that consists of a Microscope and Basic ENT clinical unit that comprises an otoscope, Suction apparatus and head light with necessary instruments for complete ENT examination. Thorough ENT examination is possible within the mobile unit with the help of a team that is headed by Dr.S.Sudhamaheswari and the team consists of two doctors, two audiologists and paramedical workers

List of camps conducted in various parts of the Tamilnadu state from the year 2007:

  1. Podaturpet, January 2007 in association with the lions club of Podaturpet.
  2. At Dr.Kumarasamy welfare centre at Kanyakumari, May 2007.
  3. Free ENT camp organized by the Lions club of Kanchipuram at Kanchipuram on September 16th 2007.
  4. At kaligi Ranganathan Montford Matriculation Higher secondary school, Perambur, Chennai, September 23rd 2007 in association with sri.Jwala trust.
  5. Free ENT camp organized by the Rotary club of Chennai and kanchipuram at Pillaiyarpalayam and Iyengarkulam Village, October 2nd 2007.
  6. Free ENT camp organized by All India Sai Samaj at Sai baba temple, Mylapore, October 14th, 2007.
  7. Free ENT camp organized by Rotary club of chennai and chengulpet at S.V.C Jain Matriculation school and T.E.L.C Cornation middle school at Chengulpet on October 26th, 2007.
  8. Free ENT camp organized by Meditour India at Vilampatti marriage hall on December 12th 2007.
  9. Free ENT camp organized by the Rotary club of chennai and Thiruvannamalai at Chengam Village on December 22nd, 2007.
  10. Free ENT camp organized by the Rotary club of chennai and Ranipet at Ranipet on February 2nd 2008.
  11. Free ENT camp organized by the Rotary club of chennai and Ranipet at Ranipet on March 1st 2008.
  12. Free ENT camp organized by the Lions club of Perambakkam at Perambakkam on April 13th 2008.
  13. Free ENT camp organized by the Rotary club of chennai and MERF at Pondavakkam village on 19th April, 2008.
  14. Free ENT camp at the Sri Adi Chunchanagiri Women's College, Cumbum in July, 2008.
  15. Free ENT camp organized by the Parasparam trust and MERF at Bathlagundu , September 21st ,2008.
  16. Free ENT camp for Armed Reserve Policeman and their families at Armed Reserve Police Kalyana Mandapam , Egmore , Chennai , September 2008.
  17. ENT screening camp organized by Lions Club at Podaturpet, September 2008.
  18. ENT screening camp organized by Lions Club at Podaturpet, September 2008.
  19. Free ENT camp for children at Anganwadi centres in Kotturpuram, Chennai at Kotturpuram housing board colony on February 22nd 2009.
  20. Free ENT camp for Ambattur Industrial estate employees on March 4th 2009.
  21. Free ENT camp organized by Ayyappa seva sangam and Adyar shastri nagar welfare association on March 29th 2009 at Adyar shastri nagar welfare association building, chennai.
  22. American school children camp –November 11th, 12th, 13th and 16th 2009
  23. Free ENT camp at Podaturpet organized by Lions club of Podaturpet December 2009
  24. Free ENT camp for mucopolysaccharidosis children at Mediscan systems building, Mylapore,Chennai on 26/1/2010
  25. Free ENT camp at Thenur village at Thenur village near perambalur in Tiruchirapalli district in association with the Rotary club of perambalur and Rotary club Madras esplanade, Chennai. The camp was conducted at Payir Trust building at thenur village on 31/01/2010
  26. Free ENT camp at Lady Wellington School, Triplicane, Chennai on 20/2/2010 as part of kalaignar kappeettu thittam.
  27. Free ENT camp at for Punjab association orphan school children at Punjab association building ,Old Mahabalipuram road.
  28. Camp at Arakonam Govt. high school, organized by the Lions club of Arakonam, Feb, 2010.
  29. Vandavasi Camp- March 2010.
  30. Swatantra nagar slum board camp at Chennai, 1st May, 2011.
  31. Ayampakkam camp- 17th July, 2011.
  32. Free camp for Mucopolysaccharidosis children - 26/01/2012.
  33. Free ENT Camp for Udhavum Nanbargal organization – 19/02/2012.
  34. Free ENT Camp at Arakonam organized by Lions club of Arakonam- March 11th 2012.
  35. Free ENT camp organized by Ayyappa seva sangam on April 1st 2012 at Adyar shastri nagar welfare association building, Chennai.
  36. Free ENT camp at Arakonam , Organized by Lions club of arakonam on 4/11/2012.
  37. Free ENT camp at Podaturpet organized by Lions club of Podaturpet on 2/12/2012.
  38. Free ENT camp at Sundaram motors, Mount road, Chennai for TVS group of employees on 22/12/2012.
  39. Free ENT camp at Mediscans center, Mylapore for mucopolysaccharidodis children – 26/01/2013.
  40. Free ENT camp at Sundaram motors , Mount road, Chennai for TVS group of employees on 27/04/2013.
  41. Free ENT camp at Podaturpet on22/09/2013.
  42. Free ENT camp at Sengiyamman koil st Primary school at Uthandi on 20/10/2013.
  43. Free ENT camp at Smt.Mohini Sarogi Vivekananda vidyalaya school,Annasivagami nagar,Ennore,Chennai organized by Rotary club of Chennai and Sydney hospital,Chennai on 30/12/2013.
  44. Free ENT camp at Mediscans premises for mucopolysaccharidosis children on 25/01/2014.
  45. Free ENT camp at Govt. higher secondary school, Maraimalainagar in association with lions club of maraimalainagar on 09/02/2014.
  46. Free ENT camp at S.M.Nagar,Teynampet on 14/02/2014.
  47. Free ENT camp at SIPCOT industrial park ,Gummidipoondi for SIPCOT employees on 22/02/2014.
  48. Free ENT camp at Thalapathi .k. Vinayagam matriculation school, Tirutani on 23/02/2014.
  49. Free ENT camp at Adyar Shastri Nagar Welfare Association Building on 6/7/2014.