15-05-2025
100 children get cochlear implants, speech processors
Ahmedabad: For two-and-a-half-year-old Unnati (name changed), the sound of her father reached her ears on Thursday, bringing a smile to her face. At
, Unnati, along with her parents, is a regular patient. Dr Neena Bhalodiya, head of the hospital's ENT department, said she needed a double cochlear implant along with a
as she was
since birth.
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"After the first implant, she learnt about 500 words. It motivated the family with limited means so much that they raised funds and got the second implant. On Thursday, she received the speech processor, which costs about Rs 3 lakh, for free," said Dr Bhalodiya.
A total of 100 children received the
and speech processors at an event attended by state health minister Rushikesh Patel.
Patel told the media that about 220 kids and children are covered in the initiative free of cost, where the average cost is about Rs 2.5 lakh. "Even if a child's implant is broken or malfunctions, the state govt will bear the cost of replacement. If it is done at private facilities, 90% of re-installation costs will be borne by the govt," he said.
