Society for Assistance to Hearing Impaired Children (SAHIC) is a voluntary non-Government organization established in February 1987 and got registered with Department of Social Services in 1989 and NGO Affairs Bureau in 1990, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh with the aims and objectives of prevention, early detection and rehabilitation of the hearing impaired, Specially children in Bangladesh along with treatment of ear, nose and throat diseases.
SAHIC is the brain child of Prof. M. Nurul Amin, DLO; FRCS, FCPS, PhD (Hony.), an eminent ENT Specialist of the country. The concept of the Society came from his personal experience as a specialist seeing the problems of hearing impairment amongst the population. The establishment of the Society was coincided with United Nations resolution passed in its General Assembly of 1986 recognizing hearing impairment as a cause of disability amongst the world population leading many of them to be disabled. World Health Organization, an organ of United Nations accepted the resolution to implement by the members states. According to WHO 65% of the total hearing impairment (deafness) is caused by ear infections, which are preventable, avoidable and treatable.
The Society took the initiative to organize rural ear camps provide information and to create awareness amongst the population about the hearing impairment and its adverse effects and various diseases that may cause hearing impairment and their available preventive measures and treatment. First such rural ear camp was organized at Kaligonj, Gazipur with the help of volunteer ENT Specialists and supporting staffs in 1990.
CARITAS Bangladesh gave physical support with publicity in the locality to organize the camp. CARITAS was acting as a coordinator of Andheri Hilfe in implementing the prevention of blindness program in Bangladesh. Ms. RosiGollmann, President, Andheri Hilfee.V. Bonn who was present at the time of ear camp organized in Kaligonj at Dhaka shown her interest to attend the ear camp. The ear camp was a great success. By seeing the spontaneous participation of the local people and attendance of patients, specially children in the ear camp Ms. Rosi Gollmann got convinced and encouraged about the success of the ear camps. She expressed her willingness to participate in the prevention of deafness program in Bangladesh under the leadership of Professor M.N.Amin and expressed her willingness to help financially and technologically to establish a Centre provided a plot of land is available locally to build the Centre.
Due to extra-ordinary contribution in the development of ear, nose and throat specialty in the country Professor Amin earned the goodwill and confidence of medical colleagues, Government officials and people at large by serving as a teacher of the specialty and practitioner which helped SAHIC to gain the confidence of the executives of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, who were very kind to agree to donate a plot of land in the health complex at Mohakhali, Dhaka, to build a Centre and signed a tripartite agreement with Andheri Hilfe to provide financial assistance and Professor M N Amin to provide physical and technical support as volunteer.
After taking over the possession of plot of land SAHIC took the initiative to plan a Centre and got the approval of the plan by the appropriate authority of Bangladesh and Germany in the year 1991. After proper planning of the Centre by the Architect from Bangladesh and from Germany and approved by the appropriate authorities the construction of the Centre started in January 1991 and the Centre was inaugurated after successful completion of the building and equipping the various section of the Centre with modern instruments and equipment on 25th February 1992. We were very fortunate and privileged as the Centre was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, which is dedicated to the services of the suffering people of Bangladesh.
