Mann was speaking at the inaugural function of the annual conference of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India (AOI) recently.

He said deafness is a major handicap afflicting the young and old alike. The 3000 or so ENT specialists of the country, if all put to work, would require 30 to 40 years to conduct implants on the crores of Indians, he added.

He also said that the noise of the crackers during festivities contributed to deafness. He called upon ENT specialists to campaign for identification of the primary, secondary and tertiary causes of deafness and educate people on diabetes and hypertension, which can also lead to deafness.

Later, Mann also delivered the Dr S L Jayaswal oration on the role of CT scanand hypotensive anaesthesia in management of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma a cancer that usually affects children.

The welcome speech was made by Dr A B Kulkarni, president of the association. The inaugural function was conducted by Dr Smita Mohta, while Dr Rajendra Deshmukh proposed the vote of thanks. Dr D M Mahore and Dr R B Deshmukh were also present on the occasion. Later, during the technical session, Dr B J Choudhary of Rajiv Gandhi Medical College, Thane, delivered a guest oration on laryngeal stenosis. Award papers session was chaired by Dr B D Belsare, in which Dr Nadeem Petkar's paper `epithelial malignancies of head and neck in first three decades of life' was adjudged best.