PGIMER celebrates International Cochlear Implant Day

International cochlear implant day is celebrated on 25th February every year. Hearing impairment is the fourth leading cause of disability globally. The estimated prevalence of adult-onset deafness in India is 7.6%, and childhood-onset deafness is 2%. Out of those who don’t benefit from hearing aids for them cochlear implant is the viable option. CI bypasses the dysfunctional part of the ear and directly stimulates the auditory nerve and transmits the sound to the brain.
If the hearing loss is identified and the child is implanted early, it helps the child to develop spoken language, reading writing skills and helps in the social and emotional development of the child similar to the normal-hearing children. The cochlear implants have helped the children to get them into a world of sound from a world of silence. In adults, sudden hearing loss or progressive hearing loss may lead to reduced ability to communicate and cause psychosocial issues.
The cochlear implant program was started at PGI Chandigarh in the year 2003. Approximately 250 children and 25 adults have been implanted so far. The cochlear implant team comprises experienced ENT surgeons as well as Audiologists and Speech-language pathologists. The rehabilitation of the children is taken on priority.
Apart from self-finance options, children are implanted under various state and central government schemes. Under the ADIP program, children under 5 yrs of age with family income less than 15000 per month are implanted free of cost. The scheme also takes care of post-implant rehabilitation for two years.
Children under two yrs of age are also implanted under the RBSK scheme. Similarly, the government also helps economically weaker sections under the ESI scheme. State and central government employees can take assistance for the implant cost from their respective departments.
Parents of children with severe to profound hearing loss who don’t benefit from powerful hearing aids should get a detailed assessment to ensure the candidacy for the cochlear implant.