SHILLONG: With over 100 odd Cochlear implants have been done in the North East in the last five years while emphasis on reaching out to people in need of such treatment has been made at the inaugural function of the two-day National Level Workshop on Cochlear Implantation and Post Rehabilitation Services on Thursday.
The programme was held to create awareness on various welfare schemes with emphasis on Cochlear Implementation in North East.
Under secretary to the Government of India, Department of Empowerment of PWDs, Sunil Mahato said the Cochlear Implantation had gained momentum in the recent past in the country but progress in the North East was yet to be achieved and wide publicity for stakeholders was required to be made and the workshop was a step forward in this direction.
Faculty member, Department of Audiology at the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech Hearing Disabilities (AYJNISHD), Mumbai, Aparna Nandurkar said the programme aimed to come up with solid action plan in identifying children from the North East for Cochlear Implantation and to have them enrolled in the programme.
She informed that the programme was meant for the poor people and reaching out to them.
“To come up with fruitful strategies to strengthen the ADIP CI (Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase / Fitting of Aids and Appliances, Cochlear Implant) programme in North East”, she said.
Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities from Assam, Kausar Hilary said that in Assam technology is used to overcome learning problems that students with hearing impairment face and there is a need for convergence in trying to reach out to people in villages. He observed that there should be a focus to devise strategy to have children from 0-5 years identified and early detection is also necessary.
Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Government of Meghalaya, Sabrella Marak called upon bringing about a change in hearing impairment, early detection is also necessary. She informed about plans to have grass root level workers for training.
She added that awareness and dissemination of information on cochlear implantation and post rehabilitation services needs to be taken up right from the grassroot level so as to reach out to the people in rural areas.
Marak felicitated Jasmine D. Sangma and Ferdinand Lyngdoh Marshillong for their outstanding service and contribution towards promoting sign language and sports for the hearing impaired respectively.