The Zurich-based Fisch International Microsurgery Foundation (FIMF) opens its India chapter on Saturday, January 4, with a two-day lecture series on advanced microsurgery upon the middle ear. About 300 ENT surgeons from all over the country will attend the training sessions, which would include screening of videotapes of the surgical procedures.

Announcing this at a news conference here, Professor Ugo Fisch told media persons that FIMF was set up in Zurich five years ago with the objective of disseminating knowledge about middle ear surgery to as many people as possible. FIMF already has branches in UK, USA, Australia, Italy and Brazil.

Dr Fisch pointed out that the number of people requiring middle ear surgery in countries such as India was much higher than in the West but there simply weren't enough doctors trained to perform the operations. That is why the workload that each surgeon had to face was also much greater than in Europe and America.

With reference to one particular cause of deafness, namely, oto-sclerosis, Dr Fisch said it compelled a lot of people to go through life with a hearing impairment though it was very much amenable to surgical treatment.

Dr A B R Desai, the head of FIMF India, said oto-sclerosis was responsible for nearly 20 per cent of serious hearing impairment in the country. He said he had come across a large number of people, particularly women in rural Gujarat, who could not hear properly because of oto-sclerosis.

The launch of a new drug, levocetirizine, to be used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, was also announced at the news conference. The drug is a product of Nicholas Piramal Ltd and will be marketed with the brand name 'Airitis'. According to company sources, the drug is an isomer of cetirizine, which is commonly used today for a similar indication. However, cetirizine is often associated with drowsiness and lethargy, which are avoided with the new drug.