Civic hospitals bring cheer to deaf kids

07.01.2015, MUMBAI: Seema Patil, a 25-year-old farm worker from Dhulia, was deserted by her alcoholic husband after both their children were born with hearing disabilities. This week, as her son became the recipient of an advanced hearing device in what was the 100th cochlear implant surgery at the Nair Hospital at Mumbai Central, she was filled with hope again.

Together with Parel's KEM Hospital, both these civic-run institutions, have transformed the lives of over 300 children from low-income families in the city and across the state. The implant, which stimulates the nerve of hearing by avoiding the damaged parts of the auditory system, can restore a near-normal ability to communicate, provided the surgery is done before the child learns to speak till the age of five, and is followed by dedicated speech therapy.

Patil's four-year-old daughter Tejal was first fitted with the implant about nine months ago. "The progress was unbelievable. She now comes running to me whenever I call out to her. It is a big thing for a mother," she said. While Tejal's hearing disability became known to the family only after she turned two-and-half, they picked up her brother Harshal's problem early. Both siblings now have the implant.

Jalgaon resident Kailash Pardeshi found out about her son Nilesh's disability at the age of two, when he would not respond to any loud noises. "We took him to a private clinic near our village and were referred to Nair hospital," said the father, who works as a labourer in a farm. Nilesh was fitted with the implant on Monday. "We are hoping our son can now have a normal life," he said.

Several agencies, including the Prime Minister's and Chief Minister's Relief funds, have helped these hospitals raise around Rs 17 crore over the past nine years to procure the implants costing about Rs 5.8 lakh each. In Nair Hospital, for instance, the PM's relief fund contributed to 50% of the cost of all implants that was purchased over the years. In KEM Hospital, where 207 surgeries have been conducted since 2007, trusts like Ratan Tata and Being Human have been the leading contributors. Sion and RN Cooper hospitals have also started taking baby steps in the cochlear programme.

"Cochlear implants can really open the doors of communication for a child and turn their lives around," said Dr Milind Navalakhe, associate professor of ENT at Nair Hospital. Dean of Nair Dr Ramesh Bharmal said that the credit should also go to several trusts in the city who have been silently helping these children. The hospital has a waiting list of 300 children already.

Top CommentGreat going for the Cochlear Implant Programme at the BYL Nair and KEM Hospital. Need more donors to help poor children who are born deaf.Milind Navalakhe

KEM Hospital that has been performing cochlear implant surgeries since 2007 has now started doing it for adult patients too. "In the western world, around 75% of the implant surgeries are done for adults. The trend however is quite the opposite here, partly because the implant is either self-funded or procured through charity. Also, people think it is normal to live with deafness in old age, not realizing that it can push the seniors into depression and alienate them from the family," said Dr Hetal Marfatia, professor of ENT department at KEM. She added that 35 of the implant beneficiaries in her hospital are adults.

Doctors say the implant works best when fitted between the ages of eight months to four years for those who have never heard a sound. However, for those with a sudden loss of hearing, the results can vary depending on the recipient's age and speech therapy.