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Deaf Child Hears for First Time After Free Surgery
3 Mar
Summary
- A four-year-old girl regained hearing and speech abilities after surgery.
- The free cochlear implant surgery was a first for Rajindra Hospital.
- The state health minister facilitated the life-changing procedure.
A significant medical milestone was achieved at Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, as its first-ever cochlear implant surgery was successfully performed. The patient, four-year-old Guneet Kaur, had lived her life unable to hear or speak due to severe hearing loss.
Her family had been unable to afford the costly treatment, with quotes from private hospitals reaching nearly ₹10 lakh. However, intervention from state health minister Dr Balbir Singh facilitated the procedure at Rajindra Hospital, where the cost is approximately ₹6 lakh. This initiative, officially launching the hospital's Cochlear Implant Programme, aims to provide advanced hearing rehabilitation services in Punjab.
Guneet is reported to be stable post-surgery. Doctors anticipate that with auditory-verbal therapy, she will gradually interpret sounds and eventually develop speech, marking a new chapter in her life.
