HYDERABAD: The sound of music is sweet. But the music of sound is sweeter, especially for those who are born without the ability to hear. More than 2,500 such babies, who cannot hear even with conventional hearing aids, are born every year in Andhra Pradesh.

For them, a cochlear implant, which brings sound into the world of profoundly hearing impaired, is the only way out. The sad part is, hardly 10 of these children can afford it, since cochlear implants are still considered to be expensive, ranging between Rs.6 lakhs to Rs.10 lakhs per implant.

Arduous task

An example is Spurgeon Raj, six-year-old son of Shalemu Raju, a medical representative in Prakasam district and Rachel, a school teacher of Vinukonda in Guntur district. Born into a mute world, Spurgeon requires Rs.10.5 lakhs to get a cochlear implant. Raju and Rachel, pooling in all their resources, which included bank loans, chits, savings, loans from relatives and friends and even Rs.50,000 from the CM's Relief Fund, could mop up only Rs.8 lakh in one year. "It is costly even after the hospital promised to waive medicine/room charges or the doctor's fee," says Raju. "But we will not give up. We have been waiting to hear our son speak for three years."

SAHI's aim

E.C. Vinay Kumar of the Society to Aid the Hearing Impaired (SAHI - www.sahiearcare.org, info@sahiearcare.org), an organisation set up to help the likes of Spurgeons across Andhra Pradesh, says there are three models of implant devices, the least costing Rs.5 lakhs. "Adding cost of surgery, evaluation and rehabilitation, it comes up to over Rs.6 lakhs. That is still on the higher side for most children coming to us," says Dr. Kumar.

The causes of hearing loss range from consanguineous marriages to improper medical treatment during pregnancy. "Proper ante-natal checkups, timely vaccinations and preventing viral infections during infancy are important," says Dr. Kumar, who along with SAHI is trying to help children like Spurgeon. "Even small donations can make a big difference. We hope that corporates and philanthropists understand the plight of these children," he adds.

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