42 children get benefitted under MBSY

Raipur, July 23, 2011

About 42 children with hearing impairment have undergone successful cochlear implant surgery under Mukhyamantri Bal Shravan Yojna (MBSY) since the commencement of scheme back in April 6, 2010. By far, state government has spent Rs 2.26 crore for treatment of children under the scheme. The government provides Rs six lakh for surgery of the child belonging to the family below poverty line (BPL) and Rs four lakh for the child hailing from other non-BPL family.

Presently, the facility of cochlear implant surgery is available only in Ambedkar hospital in the state. The officials of the Health department informed that the Ambedkar hospital’s ear, nose and throat (ENT) department first conducts initial test of the children suffering from hearing problem. If the doctors recommends for cochlear implant surgery then the parents are asked to submit application in the ENT department. The application forms are available in Ambedkar hospital, office of the civil surgeon or at office of the block health officer.

The officials further informed that the parents must attach their children’s domicile certificate along with the application. If the applicant belongs to BPL family then he or she should also produce documents authenticating his claims.

The doctors of Ambedkar hospital informed that a cochlear implant is a device that provides sound perception through direct electrical stimulation of the hearing nerve, bypassing the inner ear - the most common culprit of hearing loss.

“A cochlear implant is comprised of two parts - an internal device and an external device. The internal device is surgically implanted under the skin and is comprised of a receiver, a magnet, and a bundle of fine wires, the electrode array. The external device includes the sound processor, a cable and a microphone, all housed in an earpiece. The sound processor analyses incoming sounds from the microphone and converts those sounds into patterns of electrical current. The current is carried along the cable and delivered across the skin by radio wave transmission to a receiver implanted under skin. The receiver carries the current to the electrode array, which has been implanted into the cochlea, the portion of the inner ear that contains hearing nerve fibers. The current stimulates fibers of the auditory nerve and results in the perception of sound, the doctors said.