India's leading corporate houses like Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindustan Construction Company, HDFC, Deutsche Bank and a few others have joined hands to help re-building work skills for the hearing-impaired, who are otherwise healthy and normal but remained an economic burden.
The corporates have now come forward to help the country's deaf population, which is estimated to be over five million at present, to go for cochlear implants.
Cochlear implants that is considered to be one of the costliest surgeries, is still not picked up in India due to high cost, lack of awareness and dearth of specialised surgeons.
Since the country is fully dependent on imported implants, the device that is implanted within the patient's ear along with the audio, language identification and brain translation counselling, a surgery currently costs Rs 500,000 to 950,000 not taking into account the cost of hospitalization, in India at present.
The cost followed by lack of awareness are the two most serious reasons for not enough Cochlear implants being done in India. As on date there are about 1.5 - 2 million children who are in need of cochlear implant.
On an average only about 150 - 200 implants are done in a year. There are only about 25 -30 cochlear implant centers in India. Of which five are in Mumbai including PD Hinduja Hospital, Jaslok, Bombay Hospital, INS Ashwini and Cumballa Hill.
The automobile major Mahindra & Mahindra, through its charitable arm Mahindra Foundation has recently donated 60 cochlear implants to hospitals specialised in the surgery.
Hindustan Construction Company, which has joined in the initiative a while ago had also contributed about 25 implants followed by HDFC Bank, Duetsche Bank, Pidilite Industries, there are 15 to 20 companies have shown interest in joining the movement.
Dr. M V Kirtane of PD Hinduja Hospital, who has initiated a cochlear implant workshop at the hospital for the patients, health councillors and other stake holders, says India does not have the technology to make an cochlear implant device.
As of now all of them are imported. "On an average, 1 in every 1000 children is born deaf. An average of 25000 children are born every day ie. almost 25 children need cochlear implant everyday," he adds.
Since the cost is too high for an implant in India at present, the only hope left is the recent initiative mooted by President Abdul Kalam to develop indigenous implants by DRDO.
The government had recently suggested DRDO to come up with cochlear implants in India,. But, there is no definite idea as how long will it take for the country to develop the technology.
"Today, with corporates donate cochlear implants, the specialised hospitals like PD Hinduja along with the doctors are spearheading this movement whereby more surgeons can be trained and become capable of doing a cochlear implant" said an executive from Mahindra & Mahindra.
The other major concern in India is that there is major dearth of experts in the field of cochlear implant.
Only a few specialists exists as of today in India who are capable of conducting the surgery and impart knowledge to others. The leading surgeons who are experts in the implantation in India include MV Kirtane of PD Hinduja Hospital, Dr Kameshwaran from Chennai and Dr. V.K Singh of INS Ashwini.
