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Coimbatore
CMCH crosses the century mark in cochlear implantations
October 5, 2015
The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) has successfully conducted 100 cochlear implantations for children under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme under the Tamil Nadu Health System Project.
Briefing reporters here on Monday, V. Aravinthan, the Head of the Department of ENT at CMCH said that all of the implants have been successful ever since the scheme was introduced in 2013.
He further added that the implant which would cost Rs. 7 lakh is done free of cost under the CMCHIS scheme.
According to Dr. Aravinthan, six in every 1000 children are affected by the problem in Tamil Nadu. This is at a ratio of 4:1000 worldwide. “The numbers are declining because of the increase in awareness among the public,” said the doctor.
“The defect in hearing usually arises because of an attack by viruses including Rubella and Cytomegalo; genetic problems and even marriage within blood relations. It is also caused by consuming too much of self-prescribed medicine during the first three months of pregnancy,” he informed.
“We first implanted A. Dharshini from Karamadai and now she can hear properly but is lacking the ability to respond quickly,” he added.
However, Dr. Aravinthan stated that the ability to speak could be developed over a period of time and the individual needed to work to develop the ability.
“Once a child is found to be having the problem and implanted, the child needs to be treated like a new born baby. He or she needs to understand the sound in his surrounding and get used to it and then articulate the words,” he informed.
The doctor also stated that it would take a minimum of one year for the implanted child to articulate the words and talk like a normal human being. “Speaking is a practice that needs practice in order to be normal,” he said.
A.R. Ali Sultan, Professor of the Department of ENT at CMCH said that implanted machine works like a sound transmitter which transmits sound energy into electrical energy.
“The receiver in the machine sends the sound to the transmitter which converts the sound energy into electrical energy and sends it to the eardrum,” he said.
