1,149 Cochlear Implant Surgeries performed in 4 years : Minister

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New Delhi : Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment (SJ &E) Krishan Pal Gurjar on May 6, 2018, said that 1,149 Cochlear Implant Surgeries have been performed successfully during the last 4 years (from 2014-15 to 2017-18).

Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for Speech and Hearing Disabilities (AYNISHD), Mumbai, is the Nodal Agency for Cochlear Implant Surgeries and the Government has empanelled 172 Hospitals (both Government & Private) across the country for Cochlear Implant Surgeries. He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the ‘Cochlear Implant Awareness Programme’  named ‘Swar Swagtam’ organized by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in association with Indian Red Cross Society and Sarvodaya Hospital and Research Centre at Faridabad, Haryana.

The Minister said that under ADIP Scheme of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), there is a provision for Cochlear Implant surgeries of Hearing Impaired children up to the age of 5 years at a cost of Rs 6 lakh per unit, according to a PIB release.After successful Cochlear Implant Surgeries, the child is able to hear and speak like normal Children. He opined that such awareness programs are of great importance for creating awareness among the public about the Cochlear Implant Programme under ADIP Scheme of the Department.

Cochlear Implant is a modern technology to help young children who have severe to profound deafness in both ears. Because of hearing impairment, they are not able to speak. Cochlear Implant provides such children to hear normally in one ear and with post surgical rehabilitation they are able to speak also. Cochlear Implants are costly and were not affordable by all.

With the implementation of Cochlear Implant program by the Ministry of SJ&E through Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities (Divyangjan), Mumbai, around 1,149 surgeries (916 under ADIP Scheme and 233 under CSR) have been conducted across India. The applicants have to apply based on advertisement/details on the website to AYJNISHD, Mumbai: adipcochlearimplant.in.

All the children are undergoing post-operative rehabilitation. The Ministry has empanelled 172 hospitals all over India to conduct the cochlear implant surgery. Most important outcome of this programme is reduction in the cost of implantation and empowers children with deafness to hear and develop speech.

Sarvodaya Hospital & Research Centre, Faridabad, has been part of this scheme and has operated 30 kids from different parts of North India. Dr Ravi Bhatia, Senior Consultant, Sarvodaya Hospital & Research Centre, is doing Cochlear Implant for last 2 years.