Neonatal screening is a must to rein in deafness, say doctors
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
30.09.2020
Nearly 6,000 children in Tamil Nadu have been given cochlear implants to help replace a damaged inner ear free of cost. But several children continue to be deprived of the treatment due to delayed screening and parents consulting quacks.
Cochlear implants are provided under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme in the state.
Dr Mohan Kameswaran, senior ENT consultant and managing director of Madras ENT Research Foundation, said all hospitals that deliver babies must have compulsory screening for newborns.
Mandatory screening will identify 95% of cases who need a cochlear implant. “The test is simple and hardly takes five minutes. It can also be done by the hospital nurse,” he said.
The state has set up six satellite centres in rural areas so that families don't need to relocate to the city to get their child treated for hearing loss.
Senior officials from the health department also said that they have been raising awareness about the importance to screen babies within a month after they are born.
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