About 100 children from low-income families will be able to hear better thanks to the cochlear implants they have received. Implant surgeries for the children between 6 to 9 years was financed by Power Finance Corporation (PFC) along with the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing (AYJNISHD).

Speaking on the Corporate Social Responsibility project, Rajiv Sharma, PFC Chairman and Managing Director, said: “Being the 7th largest public sector company, we have helped change the lives of 100 children. We feel proud about this achievement and hope to contribute more through our CSR initiatives.”

A cochlear implant surgery is undertaken by doctors on a person with hearing impairment. After the surgery, a processor is fixed on the outer year which helps the person hear better. After the surgery, the person goes through speech therapy so that they can learn to speak.

Sharma said that the PSU had spent close to Rs 6 crore of the Rs 150 crore rupees earmarked for CSR.

Dr A.K Sinha, Director of AYJNISHD, spoke about how cochlear implants in India are imported. “As a part of the Make in India initiative, some changes should be made to manufacture cochlear implants in India, this would bring down the costs of the surgery drastically,” he added. At present, patients pay close to Rs 6 lakh for the cochlear implant surgery.

Thawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, said: “Under the ADIP (Assistance to Disabled Persons) scheme of our ministry, we added people with hearing impairments. We plan on helping them by conducting more such surgeries.” He also said that 600 more children were on the waitlist for which they needed funding.

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