New Delhi: Saket City Hospital celebrated the success of 100 cochlear surgeries done by them calling the occasion, ‘Celebration of Senses’. These hundred surgeries have changed the lives of the children’s who would have been confined to the silent world of deaf and dumb using sign language as their only mode of communication with the world. Since these children and their 
Deafness is a disability affecting 1000s of children and adults. The exact prevalence is unknown but it is estimated that 3-4 in a 1000 births have a significant problem with hearing. The problem is thought to be in 100s of 1000s in numbers in India and adding hugely every year. These children if not treated stay disconnected from society as not only can they not hear, they can also not speak since the two are always closely connected. Even adults who lose their hearing to infections / trauma etc may fall into this category of social isolation. If the problem is severe to profound, regular hearing aids are not effective at all.
It’s a boon that medical science has now graduated to a point where there’s a bionic ear surgery (Cochlear Implant) can replace the function of hearing! But the cost of this treatment is prohibitive. In countries like UK and US, State or Insurance covers this problem, but in India the patient has to pay a minimum of 8 lacs INR to afford this treatment – clearly out of reach of many of these children and their parents. Cochlear Implant surgery is carried out in only select centers worldwide. It is a complex but in expert hands, a very safe and successful surgical procedure. Surgery needs to be followed by Auditory Verbal training for 1 year.
Saket City Hospital’s Cochlear Implant Program under the leadership of Dr Shomeshwar Singh MS DLO FRCS MD, has taken a big step to bridge this gap in our nation. The hospital partnered with The Hans Foundation, a philanthropic organization that has agreed to pay the bills of these children for this treatment. The result of this effort over the last 6 months is what you see today at The Celebration of Senses. 100s of children have regained their hearing and are well on their way to joining regular schools and live a regular life chatting and laughing with their families–something we take so much for granted. The Program is so successful, that children from all over the country are now part of it. 100s are on our waiting list for surgery. We are doing more than 20 cochlear implant surgeries every month – one of the busiest cochlear implant programs in the country.
If you think about it carefully, these childrens’ lives have been changed completely forever. Saket City Hospital’s Cochlear Implant Program and The Hans Foundation have returned to them what God omitted from their life.