Mohan Kameswaran | |
|---|---|
 The President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presenting Padma Shri to Prof. Mohan Kameswaran, in 2006. | |
| Born | Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation | Otorhinolaryngologist |
| Known for | MADRAS ENT RESEARCH FOUNDATION (P) LTD |
| Spouse | Indira Kameshwaran |
| Awards | Padma Shri Indo-Australian Award for Meritorious Service GoK Award for Excellence Rotary For The Sake of Honour Award Shri Shyam Lal Saxena Memorial Award Tamil Nadu Scientist Award |
| Website | Official website of MADRAS ENT RESEARCH FOUNDATION (P) LTD |
Mohan Kameswaran is an Indianotorhinolaryngologist, medical academic and the founder ofMERF Institute of Speech and Hearing, aChennai-based institution providing advanced training inaudiology andspeech-language pathology.[1] He is one of the pioneers of cochlear implant surgery in India and a visiting professor atRajah Muthiah Medical College of theAnnamalai University andSri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai.[2] He has many firsts to his credit such as the performance of the firstauditory brain stem implantation surgery in South and South East Asia, the first pediatric brain stem implantation surgery in Asia, the firsttotally implantable hearing device surgery in Asia Pacific region, and the first to introduceKTP/532 laser-assisted ENT surgery in India.[3] The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of thePadma Shri, in 2006, for his contributions to Indian medicine.[4]
Kameswaran was born in the south Indian state ofTamil Nadu and graduated in medicine fromMadras Medical College in 1976. He continued his studies at the Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Chennai to secure a post graduate specialization (MS) inotorhinolaryngology in 1981, after which he obtained the Fellowship of theRoyal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCS).[5] Later, he worked at theKing Saud University, Saudi Arabia as the ENT Professor for a while.[3] In 1996, he established Madras ENT Research Foundation (MERF) and, ten years later, the MERF Institute of Speech and Hearing (MERF-ISH) in 2006 atMandavelli, a suburban town of Chennai. The institution, has in-patient facility for ENT related treatment and conducts courses such as Bachelor of Audiology And Speech Language Pathology (BASLP), Master of Audiology And Speech Language Pathology (MASLP), and Post Graduate diploma courses, in addition to offering research facilities leading to PhD, in affiliation withTamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University.[6] He is associated with theRajah Muthiah Medical College as a visiting professor and theTamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University as an adjunct professor.
In 2005, Kameswaran performed the firstauditory brainstem implant surgery in South Asia and five years later, he performed the surgery on a child, becoming the first in Asia to perform the pediatric auditory brainstem implant.[5] He is also credited with the firstTotally Implantable Hearing Device surgery and MERF is the first hospital in India to use KTP Laser in an ENT surgery which they achieved in 1999.[3] In 2013, he launched Listen App, a mobile-based application developed in association with a Belgian software firm, which works as a hearing aid as well as a music player.[citation needed] He is one of the founders of the Cochlear Implant Group of India and served as its president when the society was formed in November 2003. He has written a text book on the subject,Tropical Diseases in ENT and has mentored many ENT surgeons in their researches.[5] He has also published over 40 articles in peer reviewed national and international journals[7] and has organised several medical seminars and conferences,[8][9] where he has delivered key note addresses.[10][11]
Kameswaran is married to Indira, who is also associated with MERF in its management.[12]
The year 2006 brought several honours to Kameswaran, starting with the fourth highest civilian award of thePadma Shri, in January, from the Government of India.[4] This was followed by Indo-Australian Award from the Indo-Australian Association andFor the Sake of Honour from the Chennai chapter of theRotary International.[3] Honouring his introduction of Cochlear Implant Program in Sri Lanka, thePresident of the country presented him with theAward for Excellence of Service and he also received theAward for Service fromArthur C. Clarke.[3] TheGovernment of Kerala awarded him theAward for Excellence the same year andNational Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) chose his writings for theShri Shyam Lal Saxena Memorial Award for the best published medical work.[5] He is also an elected fellow of theNational Academy of Medical Sciences,[13]
In 2007, he was elected as a member of the governing body of the Cochlear Implant Board for the Asia-Pacific region, making him the first Indian to receive the honour.[5] TheGovernment of Tamil Nadu selected him for theTamil Nadu Scientist Award in 2008 and the same year,Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University conferred the degree ofDoctor of Science (Honoris Causa) on him.[5]
