Sri Lanka’s premier speech and hearing care facility Wickramarachchi Institute of Speech and Hearing (WISH) in another pioneering venture have taken Sri Lanka to the top spot in audiology related services in the world. Headed by Mihira Wickramarachchi the Chairman of the company, WISH is the only institute to provide audiology related services that is on par with countries such as Germany and the United States all under one roof. The technology currently in use at the WISH facility is the most advanced in South Asia.

Speaking on this significant achievement Mr.Wickramarachchi notes, “For more than 39 years Wickramarachchi has been a name synonymous with pioneering in the field of audiology. Our facility and the staff we employ understand the science of hearing and balance and are well-equipped with the most advanced technology to take care of any audiology related need. Over the years we have been honored and trusted to serve great Sri Lankans such as Sir Arthur C Clarke, Ray Wijewardena and several other state leaders. This has been possible only because of the trust we have built among our customers”.

From humble beginnings with just one clinician and one audiometer to an extensive network of twenty five clinics (independent and in hospitals) staffed with qualified professionals and state-of-the-art equipment, WISH has been there every step of the way in making a difference in people's lives since 1976. During a time when very few had heard leave alone seen a hearing aid, WISH introduced the first hearing aid to the hearing impaired population of Sri Lanka. More than a decade ago, in August of 2004, WISH funded the now popular, but the then never-before-done cochlear implant surgery in Sri Lanka - the first of its kind - and introduced the concept of auditory verbal therapy (AVT). Today, it is the only facility in the country to have grown beyond hearing and established a fully functional vestibular (balance) clinic with an ISO accreditation.

The institute has many firsts to its name, including the introduction of audiology to government and private hospitals, and introducing a complete calibration lab for the first time in Sri Lanka earlier this year. Services such as Audiometer Calibration and Certification, Earphones and Hearing Aid Testing, Sound-Proof Room Calibration, Headphone Calibration, Bone Conductor Calibration, Loudspeaker Calibration and Insert Phone Calibration are now carried out at this state-of-the-art facility. Typically used in hospitals, audiology centers, and research and development units, this technology is essential to monitor accurate sound levels for specific requirements. This acoustic lab has acoustic engineers who can calibrate any audiological equipment in the world including certifying them to world standards in sound levels for any form of industry. More than 30 soundproof rooms have already been set up in Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Australia where Wickramarachchi Opticians opened a branch recently.

At the institute audiologists have successfully completed 300 Cochlear implant surgeries this year alone. Apart from this testing for vestibular balance disorders, hearing assessments, electro physiology assessments, repairing and assembling of hearing aids, repairing the most advanced audiology equipment used in hearing assessment and balance disorders, Cochlear implant services and fitting of the most advanced hearing aids are carried out at the center in Delkanda, Nugegoda.

WISH has been recognized by the College of ENT Surgeons for its valuable contribution to the healthcare sector in Sri Lanka and is also approved by the Sri Lanka Medical Council to carry out special Audiology training programmes. Affiliated with the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, WISH is also in the process of conducting medical research at its well-equipped facility. For more information please visit the website www.hearingsrilanka.com