A joint project by the Lions Clubs of Byculla and Bombay Queensway funded the installation of audiology equipment worth Rs 25 lakhs to spot hearing defects in newborn babies at the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital. Tehmasp Munshi, president of the Byculla Club and Roshan Master of Bombay Queensway together "agreed to raise funds for this equipment,” noted project chairperson Capt Percy Master in an email to Parsiana. Seventy-five percent of the project cost came in from Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF). Zenobia Kaikobad provided guidance on how to prepare documents for the LCIF grant, he observed.
(Top) Capt Percy Master; (above) chief guest Boman Irani; (inset) audiology equipment
donated by Lions Clubs: assisting early spotting of hearing defects
Inaugurated by actor and producer Boman Irani on May 25, 2019, almost 100 people from the Clubs and the Hospital attended the event in the Hospital auditorium, noted Percy. Club member Sharukh Marolia "was instrumental in getting Boman Irani to be the chief guest, which was a big boost for the Lions,” Percy stated. After the inauguration, Irani mingled with the staff and young patients of the ear, nose and throat (ENT) department. Past district governor Daara Patel introduced Irani to the audience.
While thanking KEM’s head of ENT Dr Hetal Patel and dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh, Percy appreciated that "What really fascinates me is that the young doctors, interns and nurses along with senior doctors never look harassed and calmly attend to all the patients. They always have a smile on their faces.”