Six Pune tudents with cochlear implants felicitated

Six students suffering from congenital hearing impairment, who had been fitted with cochlear implants at the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, have successfully completed their SSC and HSC examinations.

The students were felicitated by the hospital on Saturday morning, at the hands of Sumantai Kirloskar. Nearly 120 people attended the event. KEM Hospital has been undertaking cochlear implant surgeries since 2006.

Sampat Hivarkar, father of Akshay Hivarkar (15), who was felicitated at the hospital, told DNA, “Akshay was two-and-a-half years old when we realised that he was not reacting to sounds. We were referred to Dr Vaid at KEM Hospital in 2007 and we got Akshay operated. Today, Akshay has scored 80% in his SSC examinations and has made us proud.”

Akshay told DNA, “I am planning to take up commerce. I am no less than any other teenager.” Dr Neelam Vaid, who conducted the surgery, told DNA that there were 118 kids who had undergone the surgery.

“The implants are given to people who are totally deaf and are unable to hear any sound,” Vaid said. Dr Vaid, implanting surgeon and head of ‘Big Ears’ at KEM Hospital, said the felicitation was a gesture to prove that these children were just like any other child, who could go to normal schools.