Poor children who are hearing impaired have hope as All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, is planning to conduct cochlear implant surgeries for free on them.

The cochlear implant is a small electronic device surgically placed inside the ear to provide a sense of sound to the hearing impaired and help them understand sound.

AIIMS-Patna has got itself empanelled under the Union government's Assistance to Disabled Persons (ADIP) scheme of the ministry of social justice and empowerment. Under the ADIP scheme, the ministry would bear the cochlear implant surgery costs of patients at AIIMS-Patna. A surgery approximately costs Rs 6 lakh, which is followed by speech therapy sessions for over a year.

Patients who are hearing impaired also have problems speaking because they have never heard sound. This is why experts give them a speech therapy after their cochlear implant surgery.

Kranti Bhavna, head of the ear, nose and throat (ENT) department at AIIMS-Patna, said: "AIIMS-Patna has so far successfully conducted 11 cochlear implant surgeries. Now that the health hub has got itself empanelled under the Union government's ADIP scheme, it would help poor patients who suffer from hearing impairment."

Bhavna added: "Through the ADIP scheme, only 500 children up to the age of 12 years can benefit every year. Those who are interested in taking benefits under the scheme, have to send an application to AIIMS-Patna. The application will then be forwarded to the ministry following which it would be decided whether the child concerned has to be given benefits under the scheme. Only those children who fulfil a certain criteria can avail of the benefits under the scheme. For example, the child concerned should hold a 40 per cent disability certificate under Persons with Disability Act. The monthly income of the parent or guardian of the child should not exceed Rs 20,000 as well."

Bhavna said the hospital was also getting money from the Prime Minister's fund to conduct the surgery on poor patients.

The ENT department of AIIMS-Patna, which is conducting the cochlear implant surgeries at the hospital, has also started head and neck cancer surgeries, recently

Bhavna said: "Throat cancer, larynx cancer, voice-box cancer, vocal cord cancer, comes in the category of head and neck cancer. Like in all other cases of cancer, the disease can spread to the whole body if the surgery is not done at the right time. Hence, it is important to do the surgery at the right time. Else, the patient may find difficulty in talking, among other activities.