BENGALURU: Seventy-one children aged between eight months and six years will undergo free cochlear implant surgery at KC General Hospital, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health and Wenlock Hospital, Mangaluru, starting Tuesday. This is part of the cochlear implant project that will be inaugurated at KC General Hospital, Malleswaram.
A cochlear implant surgery is expensive with each procedure costing Rs 5.1 lakh followed by a year of audio verbal therapy. The procedure was not covered under any state health programme previously.
For the first time, the cost will be borne under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram under the National Health Mission funds. As per 2011 census, there are 1,939 children in the age group of 0-6 years with hearing impairment. Among these most are deaf since birth.
For the project, surgeons from the three hospitals will each be paid Rs 50,000 per procedure.
Prabhu Dev B Gowda, an official with the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), said, “Cochlear implant surgery yields the best results from eight months to three years.
After three years of age the child may hear but speech may be difficult. Hearing impairment should be identified early, by screening newborns.”
The project under Shravanadosha Mukta Karnataka will be implemented by Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust. The RBSK teams screened children enrolled in anganwadis, government and government-aided schools, and referred them to the district hospital.
