Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 24: In furtherance of its resolve to be socially useful, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has taken numerous initiatives having far reaching positive social implications. One such initiative is the sponsoring of expensive cochlear implant surgeries that are performed on deaf children and one in the past few years, the Shrine Board has positively transformed the lives of 22 beneficiary children hailing from deprived economic backgrounds.
Continuing with its splendid philanthropic reputation, the Board sponsored cochlear implant surgery of yet another child named Mehak Rafiq (a poor girl from south Kashmir who had a difficult inner ear anatomy). The surgery was performed at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Superspecialty Hospital (SMVDNSH) by Dr Rohan Gupta, Consultant ENT, under the guidance of Dr Sunil Kotwal, Consultant ENT, a few days prior to International Cochlear Implant Day (25th February).
As her poor parents were in no position to afford the cost of cochlear surgery, Mehak was living in the world of silence and was missing out on the joy that teenage brings. It was great relief for the family when the Board decided to come to their rescue by sponsoring the inevitable surgery.
Dr Gopal Sharma (Chief administrative Officer, SMVDNSH) reiterated that aided by vast vision of Chairman LG, UT of J&K), the management of Board led by a very dynamic and pro-active CEO has always done exceedingly well when it comes to reaching out to the poor and needy patients in need of financial support.
The 2nd surgery was performed on a 1-year-old girl child Nooraiz (self-paying parents who chose SMVDNSH as the treatment destination). It was one of its kind surgeries in the entire Jammu and Kashmir wherein, simultaneous Bilateral Surgery was performed on a young patient of 1 year itself.
Dr Rohan vociferously sought help of all ‘Hearing Health professionals’ to sensitize parents about debilitating effect of hearing loss on overall development of a child and pleaded them to guide the parents in the context of available treatment options.
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