Of all five senses namely taste, vision, touch, smell and hearing, the hearing is also associated with speech. A deaf can’t hear and so cannot answer properly and IQ measurement is based on such criteria. Without verbal words one is not accepted in the society. To tackle this handicap the Deaf and Blind School at Safidipur, which is working for many decades, has taken a step further. With the efforts of Col. Karaminder Singh, who is taking care of all the students at Deaf and Blind School a child born deaf has undergone the Cochlear Implant Surgery by Dr. Harsimran Singh and the speech therapy is started today and will continue so that child can go to normal school and live an independent life. The child operated is 6 years old and is student of deaf and blind school, Patiala and resident of Hoshiarpur.
The cochlear implant is an electronic device surgically placed in the ear of deaf child before the age of 7. Its outer processor transmits the electronic signal and that signal is send to the brain which picks up signal and processes for speech. The National Health Guidelines are there which states that every newborn child has to undergo screening hearing assessment so that any medical intervention required can be done timely. The timely test at newborn is available at Simran ENT centre which is the only ENT centre in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal to get the national NABH safe-I accredition and giving all the advanced ENT services under one roof.
In India more than 27000 children are born deaf every year and less than 2000 children avail the appropriate treatment at appropriate time. It’s because of lack of awareness and availability. The awareness is being spread among general population to take treatment at an early age rather than living in handicap rest of the life. Punjab itself has 1.46 lakh deaf people of all different ages and reasons. The team SIMRAN E.N.T Centre and the Deaf and Blind School work together for the social cause of decreasing the handicap and prevent the deafness.
Today the implant was switched on in the child and the first expressions were of amusement when she heard for the first time. On this occasion the director of the child’s institute Col. Karaminder Singh, Principal Renu Singla, Dr. Biswajit ,Dr Hemant, Dr Harsimran Singh were present to encourage the joyous family.
