Hearing abilities: After cochlear implant surgery, two children discover sounds

The programme provides surgical interventions for hearing impaired children.


APP July 03, 2013
Parents of mute children had been invited to get them examined and get them registered for the surgical procedure.

KARACHI: The Dow University of Health Sciences performed cochlear implant surgery on two children, residents of Ranchore Line, as part of their programme to restore hearing and speaking capabilities of hearing impaired children, on Monday.

The institute’s head of ENT department and pro-vice chancellor, Prof. Umer Farooq, said that the surgeries were performed free-of-charge for children from families with limited resources.



“This is a service the DUHS has embarked upon to help improve the quality of life of children with hearing disabilities,” he said. Dr Farooq said that parents of mute children had been invited to get them examined and get them registered for the surgical procedure if found deserving. Regarding the selection criteria, he said that a major consideration for cochlear implant was the child’s chances of restoration and the parents’ economic status as the resourceful could manage to pay for the expenses.

The senior ENT surgeon mentioned that the children operated upon in December last year were currently undergoing the speech therapy so they could speak fluently. “Their hearing capacities have otherwise been fully restored,” he said.



He added that the International Medical Relief Agency had helped DUHS in the first phase of the cochlear implants, however, with the passage of time the university had attempted to arrange for the gadgets on its own.

“Yes, we do need public support in terms of financial assistance to expand our service network and help the optimum number of resource-less child patients suffering from hearing impairment,” he said.

Prof. Farooq informed that a sizable number of kids lost their hearing capacities due to infections in the early phase of their lives that may otherwise be vaccine preventable. “We must remember our responsibilities towards our children - they must not be deprived of their rights to lead a quality life,” he reiterated.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2013.

COMMENTS (1)

save the patients | 10 years ago | Reply

Save the Patients, A Trust / NGO, working for the patients who are unable to afford their treatment cost and medication. www.savethepatients.org www.fb.com/savethepatients

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