The community based study on school going children, screening 37872 cases was carried out and revealed significant hearing loss amongst the 244 subjects. The aetiological factors contributory to it were ascertained in 20.5%. The hearing retardation was correlated to education and socialisation. The scoring for educational status, language proficiency and communicational skills varied linearly with the quantum of hearing loss, and inversely with age of commencement of this handicap. Overall, amongst those with reversible hearing retardation, medico-surgical treatment augmented hearing status in 96.15% and 78.4% of others with hearing aids to the satisfactory level. In another 14.8% with subtotal hearing loss, it could not be augmented with hearing aids and other clinical procedures, hence sign language and occupational therapy was insured as maximum possible help for their rehabilitation.

Bhutanese refugees Prevalence rehabilitation Hearing retardation

education refugee mass screening interpersonal communication human language ability controlled study hearing aid socialization Bhutan hearing loss school child male female scoring system Article Occupational Therapy Speech Therapy disability