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Parl committee pulls up ministry for missing cochlear implant targets

The panel also noted that the procurement of the implants were made from only four states and asked the Centre to direct the states and UTs to make bulk purchases of these units

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A parliamentary panel on disabilities has pulled up the union ministry of social justice and empowerment, stating that opposed to the Centre's promise to conduct over 1,500 cochlear implants in the last three years, it has only conducted 975 such implants.

Under the Assistance to Disabled Person for Purchase and Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP) scheme, the Centre is mandated to provide over 500 hearing-impaired children with financial assistance of 100% of the Rs 6 lakh per unit cost for beneficiaries with an income of less than Rs 15,000 per month, and with 50% for those earning anywhere between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per month.

The Lok Sabha committee headed by MP Ramesh Bais in its report said that, "The Committee is dismayed to note that in the last three years, i.e., from 03.12.2014 to 30.11.2017, only 975 Cochlear Implant Surgeries have been conducted … The Department needs to explain this shortfall." It also recommended that the number of surgeries should be increased to 700 beneficiaries because if a child is provided with the facility in the early years, it will help the child in its overall development.

In addition to that, the panel also noted that the procurement of the implants were made from only four states and asked the Centre to direct the states and UTs to make bulk purchases of these units.

The Committee also took note of the provision under the scheme where a beneficiary below the age of 16 years with 80% disability is provided with a motorised tricycle once every ten years. Stating that the condition of the roads is not good enough, the Committee asked the Centre to increase the maintenance cost of these tricycles, and asked the Centre to review the ten-year policy and bring it down to five years.

The Committee also took a strong view of the funds given to District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRCs) by the Centre. It noted that since 1999 when the DDRCs were formed, only 261 DDRCs received funds only once while 49 DDRCs remained non-functional. It recommended that the ad hoc manner in which these funds were made available needs to be revised to make DDRCs financially viable and sustainable.

IMPLANTS PURCHASE

  • The panel also noted that the procurement of the implants were made from only four states and asked the Centre to direct the states and UTs to make bulk purchases of these units.
     
  • It also took note of the provision under the scheme where a beneficiary below the age of 16 years with 80% disability is provided with a motorised tricycle once every ten years
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