Launch

'Destiny'- a New Digital Aid for Indian Market by Starkey

A state-of-the-art digital hearing aid targeted for children

US-based global hearing solutions company, Starkey, would enter the Indian market with its digital hearing aid called 'Destiny' by November this year. The aid is specifically targeted at children.

Till then, it is involved in distributing 'Destiny' to thousands of children as a part of its CSR activity. Says Dr Girija Sundar, Director of Business Development, Starkey, "The USP of this product is that it brings down the 'whistle effect' dramatically. The effect is cut down with the help of active feedback interrupt. Also, it has a directional microphone that accepts telephonic sound without the distortion." In this era of digitisation, the company feels that the market is apt. "About 92 per cent hearing aids sold in the US are digital," informs Sundar.

Costing between Rs 10,000-Rs 50,000, the shelf life of the product would be four to seven years in India. The product is re-programmable and can be re-used.

However, the biggest concern is that there are not many qualified audiologists in India and hence awareness is low. Said Rohit Misra, Managing Director, Starkey, "Compared to the Western countries, the number of qualified audiologists is abysmally low. We have just around 1,200 professionals for a country of billion people. Hence, awareness needs to be stepped up."

In a panel discussion, organised by Starkey, the issues, problems and challenges faced by the hearing impaired were also raised. Commenting on the increasing vulnerability of the youth, Dr Prashant Kamble, Audiologist, Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai, cautioned, "Listening to I-pods, playing video-games and exposure to loud music in discos are common today. Little do they realise about the significant impact it can have on their hearing." On the same ground, agreed Dr R Oza, Audiologist and HOD, Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai, "There are many aspiring youngsters who come for the audiometric test which is mandatory for being a pilot, but at least 20 per cent of them fail this test."

EH News Bureau