Free cochlear implant surgery done on 2 kids

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, May 24

In the state’s first free cochlear implant surgery, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital (GGSMCH), Faridkot, on Thursday implanted these electronic devices in two children from the low-income families. A cochlear implant (CI) provides a sense of sound to a person with severe to profound sensorneural hearing loss in both ears.

While such procedures normally cost around Rs 10 lakh but these surgeries have been performed for free here under a scheme- Assistance to Disabled Persons (ADIP)- sponsored by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.

Congratulating the ENT department in the medical college for this first free implant surgery, Dr Raj Bahadur, Vice-Chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, said both children had hearing impairment since birth and had not learnt to speak (known as deaf and dumb). With the cochlear implant these children will be able to hear and after further rehabilitation, they will soon be able to speak also.

Dr Rajiv Joshi, medical superintendent of the college, said besides these two cases, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has given its approval for four more cochlear implant surgeries.