Jupiter Hospital in Pune offers free cochlear implant surgeries for underprivileged children

The final selection of candidates will be based on medical evaluations and the hospital’s discretion, with conditions and guidelines applied throughout the process

Jupiter Hospital has launched a commendable initiative to provide free cochlear implant surgeries to children from underprivileged backgrounds. Under the programme, 25 children under the age of five will receive the implant free, which costs between ₹8 to ₹10 lakh, officials said.

The initiative was launched on September 26 and there are no beneficiaries yet. Two children enrolled under the programme and their medical evaluation and health assessment are ongoing. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The initiative was launched on September 26 and there are no beneficiaries yet. Two children enrolled under the programme and their medical evaluation and health assessment are ongoing. They will be operated once they are fit for the procedure

The procedure will be done by ENT surgeons, Dr Col Inderdeep Singh and Dr Pradip Uppal.

As per officials the children should be under five years of age with profound bilateral hearing loss, as confirmed by a BERA test, and come from families with an annual income below ₹1.5 lakh as per the latest BPL guidelines. Additionally, a behavioural and cognitive assessment by a child psychologist is required, along with confirmation of normal development in other organs.

The final selection of candidates will be based on medical evaluations and the hospital’s discretion, with conditions and guidelines applied throughout the process.

Dr Singh said, “Every child deserves the right to hear and communicate and cochlear implants can open up a world of opportunities for these children, allowing them to thrive in their communities.”