Kannur: Health Minister Veena George said here that the cochlear implantation surgeries had started in the hospitals empanelled for the Srutitarangam project under the State Health Agency (SHA). The technical committee of the project has already given its approval for the surgeries of 44 children whose applications were received earlier through the Social Security Mission and the SHA.
Manorama has recently brought out the fact that the project is in a state of standstill and no surgery or repair of the device has been taken up after the project was handed over to the SHA. Health Minister Veena George also said the same thing in the Assembly on September 13 as an answer to a question raised by D K Murali MLA.
The applications for the repair of the cochlear device and the upgrade of the processor would also be taken up soon, the minister said. Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, and Kozhikode government medical college hospitals are on the list of empanelled hospitals. Private hospitals such as Dr Noushad ENT Institute and Research Centre in Ernakulam, Dr Manoj ENT Super Specialty Institute and Research Centre in Kozhikode, and Ascent ENT Hospital in Perintalmanna have also been empanelled under the Srutitarangam project. Applications for the repair of the device can also be submitted through these hospitals, and application forms have been made available free of charge.
