Free Cochlear Implant in Chiranjeevi Scheme

• 01 Dec 2022

Why In News?

• On November 30, 2022, Professor, Department of ENT, SMS Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan. Mohnish Grover said that under the 'Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana' in the state, cochlear implants are now being made available completely free of cost in government hospitals.

Key Points

• Prof. Dr. Mohnish Grover said that hearing and speech disabilities from birth is a serious problem, whose effect can last for life. Four out of every 1,000 children born in India are born with such deformities. Cochlear implant technology has proved to be very effective in its treatment. Rajasthan in particular has emerged as the leading state in the country in providing treatment through this technology.
• He said that to perform a cochlear implant, it is necessary to have this cochlear nerve in the patient's brain. But in patients who do not have this nerve, the cochlear vein is developed and implanted through surgery, which the auditor calls brain stem. This is a state-of-the-art technology, which is currently used only in some private hospitals in Chennai and Delhi.
• Rajasthan is the first state in the country where this very expensive implant, which costs Rs 18 to 20 lakh, is being done free of cost in a government hospital.
• Rajasthan is the third state in the country after Andhra Pradesh and Kerala where cochlear implants are returning the hearing and speech ability of about 1,100 children up to five years of age.
• While in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, this technology is available only in private hospitals, in Rajasthan it is available completely free of cost in government hospitals under the Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana.
• At present, free cochlear implant facility is available in government hospitals of five cities of the state. These include Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Udaipur and Jodhpur cities.
• So far 700 implants have been done in SMS Hospital, Jaipur, 95 in Jaipuria Hospital, 145 in Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner, 40 in RNT Medical College, Udaipur, 60 in SN Medical College, Jodhpur and 20 in JLN Medical College, Ajmer.
• Prof. Dr. Mohnish Grover said that the younger the age of the children for cochlear implants, the more benefits are available. According to the health policy, the age of nine months is approved for the implant, that is, only children older than at least nine months can be operated.
• Children below 4 years of age in Rajasthan can get free treatment. The operation of a cochlear implant is generally very expensive. Each operation costs at least eight to 10 lakhs.
• It is known that from April 1, 2022, cochlear implants have been included in the 'Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme'.