Workshop on Cochlear implants

SHILLONG: With more than a hundred odd Cochlear implants done in the North East in the past five years, emphasis on reaching out to people in need of such treatment was made during the inaugural programme of the two-day national level workshop on Cochlear implantation and post rehabilitation services on Thursday.
The programme aimed to create awareness on various welfare schemes with emphasis on Cochlear implementation in the North East.
Under the secretary to the government of India, Department of Empowerment of PWDs, Sunil Mahato said that Cochlear implantation has gained momentum in the recent past in the country but progress in the North East is yet to be achieved and wide publicity for stakeholders is required to be made.
“The workshop is a step forward in this direction,” he said.
Faculty member of the Department of Audiology at the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech Hearing Disabilities (AYJNISHD), Mumbai, Aparna Nandurkar said that the programme is aiming to come up with a 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 is meant for the poor people and is an effort in 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.
“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,” said the commissioner of Persons with Disabilities from Assam, Kausar Hilary.
He observed that there should be a focus on devising a strategy to have children from 0-5 years identified.
“Early detection is also a necessity,” he said.
The commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Meghalaya, Sabrella Marak, called upon bringing about a change in hearing impairment and informed about plans to impart training to grass root level workers.
She said that awareness and dissemination of information on cochlear implantation and post rehabilitation services needs to be taken up right from the grassroots level so as to reach out to people in rural areas.
Marak also felicitated Jasmine D Sangma and Ferdinand Lyngdoh Marshillong for their outstanding service and contribution towards promoting sign language and sports for the hearing impaired.