YS Jagan reviews on Cochlear Implant project, says state should be free from deaf and dumb

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed the authorities to make Andhra Pradesh people free from deaf and dumb states. He recommended Cochlear implant operations similar to that of Kanti Velugu in Telangana. The authorities were asked to identify victims with such defects in advance and perform operations on them as soon as possible. The CM recalled that at least 100 children had come to him during the Praja Sankalpa Yatra and all of them had undergone operations. He said that the government's goal is to help those with such disabilities. CM Jagan reviewed the at the camp office on Tuesday. During the meeting, he discussed with the authorities the policies being implemented in the United States, Britain, and Australia to prevent deaf and dumb disability.

The CM also discussed the comprehension tests for school students. The CM felt that with such programs it would be possible to detect hearing loss in advance and treat it appropriately. He said that Andhra Pradesh is credited with being the first to launch cochlear implant operations. The meeting discussed how to perform more modern cochlear implant surgeries and reviewed performing operations with the help of modern technology with MRI compatibility. CM Jagan directed that those identified in the screening‌ should be fully operational on performing full-scale medical operations.

YS Jagan said that the screening should be conducted for newborns, infants, and school children. He suggested thinking over the equipment to be provided to those who do not need to undergo surgeries and make a comprehensive operation on all of them. The chief minister directed that action should be taken to conduct tests for hearing problems to newborn babies in hospitals, babies in village clinics, babies in schools.

On this occasion, the officials brought to the notice of the CM that the babies should be tested in the 1st month, 3rd month, and 6th month. The CM said the children should be certified if there are no defects after the tests are done. He directed to prepare a comprehensive plan on the tests to be conducted to detect deaf and dumb in advance and opined that cochlear implant surgery should be available in government hospitals. He suggested that every teaching hospital should have facilities to perform such surgeries and providing of hearing aides to elderly people who also suffer from hearing problems.

It was also ordered to prepare SOPs in each of these stages. He clarified that the ophthalmic operations that were stalled due to coronavirus should be completed. The meeting was attended by Anil Kumar Singhal, Chief Secretary, Department of Medical and Health Services, Katamaneni Bhaskar, Commissioner, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Nilam Sawhney, Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister, Dr. Mallikharjuna, CEO, Aarogyasri, Dr. E. C. Vinay Kumar, Secretary, Society to Aid the Hearing Impaired (SAHI) and other dignitaries.