For six-year-old Shivani Kumari, last three months have been nothing less than a painful journey as she lost her hearing for the second time. The girl, who was born with a hearing impairment, has been again running in and out of hospitals after her cochlear implant device broke three months back and the cost of getting it repaired is beyond her family.
Kumari, the second of the three siblings, was born mute with 100 per cent hearing impairment and had lived like this for first four years until April 2017, when under a central government scheme she was given a cochlear implant worth Rs 6 lakh free of cost at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. However, BT Controller which is the outer part of the implant device became non-functional three months back and not getting it repaired would cost Rs54,800.
"It is so painful to see her not been able to hear again. We had almost forgotten that she was born with this problem and were so happy since the implant. I am so disappointed now that the government has no provision for replacement or repair of the outer device, "said Ajay Kumar Sahu, Shivani's father, who works at a private hospital's canteen and earns Rs 6,700 per month. Originally from Jharkhand, Sahu came to Delhi for work and after working at a tea-shop for several years, he now works at the canteen.
The family has now approached and written to the cochlear implant device company and have been seeking help from social workers.
"Kumari is a student of class first in a private school under the EWS (economically weaker sections) category but due to this broken device, she is being forced to miss school. Her father has two more children and he is barely able to make ends meet. Under the disability rights act, she has a right to education and government should have a provision to help with such problems," said Ashok Aggarwal, Social Activist.
Kumari's speech therapy has also been put on hold due to no hearing.
HEARING TAKES BACK SEAT
- Kumari, the second of the three siblings, was born mute with 100 per cent hearing impairment
- Under the central government scheme Shivani Kumari got Rs 6 lakh treatment for free
- The cost of repairing the hearing aid again is Rs 54,800. Her father who works in hospital canteen can’t afford it
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