RCI set to tighten noose around illegal audiologists in city

Chandigarh ENT specialists, pharmacists running clinics in the city and claiming to correct speech disorders, working asaudiologists without having a valid degree in the field, will no longer be able to fleece patients as the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) is all set to tighten its noose around them.

The Rehabilitation Council of India, has issued a fresh notification against these malpractices, stating that unqualified and unregistered persons or diploma or degree holders in special education and ENT Specialists working as audiologists providing services of audiological testing, hearing aid dispensing, repair and fitting of hearing aids to deaf and hard of hearingpersons, is a punishable offence under Section 13 of the Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992. Action should be taken against these unauthorised persons.

Tricity has about 30 such clinics that indulge in these malpractices without having the mandatory qualification for the same. As a result of a wrong diagnosis, many times patients land up in PGI after their cases are further complicated due to wrong prescription of heating aids among others.

While the notification, clearly mentions that for the purpose, a person should have a bachelors in or a masters in speech language pathology or audiology to perform audiological testing and hearing aiddispensing, in reality, even the pharmacists, opticians are also indulging in dispensing the hearing aid repairing and fitting of hearing aids etc.

When contacted, a senior official of the UT health department said, “ We are yet to receive the notification. But, we would definitely conduct checks in the city to find out such clinics and take necessary action against the unauthorised persons”.

On an average, about 10-15 cases are being reported in PGI, wherein the patients had visited such clinics and after they could not help them and complicated their problems further, that these patients come to PGI.

“ Most of these patients go to these clinics either because of their ignorance or for convenience, little realising that they are doing more harm to themselves rather than getting cured. Patients should check the credentials of a doctor, audiologist, before starting the treatment”, said a senior doctor from the department of ENT, PGI.