Guwahati, Oct. 9: Former Aussie pace spearhead Brett Lee today made a strong case for raising awareness in Assam about Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS), which can help identify any sign of hearing impairment, as early detection makes treatment a possibility.

Experts said around one lakh people in Assam suffer from hearing impairment at present.

An ongoing National Health Mission (NHM) survey has identified around 2,000 children since last yearwho need cochlear implantation. It is an expensive treatment but the Centre has a scheme of allocating Rs 5.2 lakh per child for the procedure.

On his maiden visit to Guwahati as part of a TV commentary team for the second T20 match between India and Australia at the newly built Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Lee, Cochlear's global hearing ambassador, visited the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital this morning to raise awareness about the 'significant functional, social, emotional and economic impact of hearing impairment on individuals and their families'.

In the afternoon, Lee interacted with the media and recipients of cochlear implants and their parents. On Wednesday, he will visit IIT Guwahati with the same objective because 'you can live with a broken arm but not with hearing loss'.

Lee, one of the fastest bowlers of all time, who finished with 310 Test and 380 ODI wickets, recalled his trauma after his son injured his ear after a fall.

'I am passionate about this mission because I know what my son and I went through after he got injured when he was around five. My son was lucky to regain his hearing but not everyone is. I don't want anyone to go through what I have gone through. Early detection and intervention can fix the problem,' he said.

GMCH professor Kalpana Sharma, NHM consultant Nirmal C. Bhattacharyya, and eminent ENT specialists Gautam Khound and Biswajit Gogoi were with Lee during his interaction with the recipients of cochlear implants.

Sharma, a cochlear implant surgeon, said the GMCH has conducted 23 implants since 2014 and has eight more lined up in November. 'All of them are doing well,' she said.

Vainavi Dassani, 12, a cochlear recipient, was with Lee during the interaction, answering queries posed by Sharma.

'I have personally witnessed how a cochlear implant takes a person from silence to sound. It is a life-changing moment. Kerala has set a benchmark by mandating UNHS in all government hospitals. They also have a comprehensive programme to tackle hearing loss. I think the work they have been doing is phenomenal and other states should follow their footsteps to ensure that everyone can experience the sound of happiness. The social and economic benefits far outweigh the cost of treatment,' Lee said.

He did not talk about cricket, saying he wanted to solely focus on UNHS.