Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Jul 11: State health minister U T Khader on Saturday July 11 said that the health department is striving to make Karnataka hearing impaired-free and Dakshina Kannada has been chosen for this on a pilot basis. He also said that a district-level health camp was held at Natekal sometime ago in this connection, following which 10 children with hearing disability underwent successful cochlear implants free of cost.
Addressing the media at Circuit House here, Khader said, "All mother and child hospitals in the district should test newborns to detect any hearing disability. The health department will provide necessary equipment to all taluk and district hospitals. We will also form policies after holding discussions with experts. Not only government hospitals but also the private ones should possess hearing test equipment, so that hearing disability can be identified at an early stage."
Referring to the camp at Natekal, he said, "In this camp 120 persons have been identified as having hearing disability, hence on July 26 we will distribute 120 hearing aids free of cost to them. As many as 35 have been identified as having complete hearing disability, and out of them, 13 are children below 5 years. But with the support of Dr Hans (from Delhi) and Dr Vasanthi (from Bengaluru) cochlear implantation were performed on the children free of cost.
"However, out of these 13 children, parents of two refused the implant due to lack confidence and parents of another child on medical grounds. Implantation has been done on the remaining 10 childre. Yenoppaya hospital supported the camp in conducting CT, MRI and BERA scans," he added.
Cochlear oimplant surgeon from Delhi Dr Hans said, "This surgery (cochlear implant) could be possible because of the efforts of the health minister through the CM and PM funds. In Karnataka 50 cochlear implants have been done, out of which 40 were funded from CM's and PM's funds, and 10 from other programmes."
He also said that speech therapy will be expanded to Wenlock hospital in the coming days.
Khader stressed on the need to create awareness on hearing disability and said, "In Mysuru there is All India Institute of Speech Therapy but there is no operation theatre (OT). The department has asked the institure to set up an OT."
He also said that nearly 150 new 108 ambulances will be launched in the next month to replace the old ones, and the CM would inaugurate the launch ceremony.
Dr Hans and cochlear implant surgeon from Bengaluru Dr Vasanthi were felicitated on the occasion.