The Government that is Deaf

Great Injustice to deaf and dumb children

• Cochlear implant under Arogya Sri scheme.

• The social responsibility  that is being given up by the congress govt.

• The injustice being done to future citizens when  only the expenditure is kept in sight.

• During the regime of Sri Y.S. three hundred cochlear implants were done.

• Y.S. has raised the age limit from 6 years  to 12 years.

• Kiran Govt has lowered the limit once for all by two years.

• Even for children of two years the benefit  is refused showing frivolous reasons.

• Hospitals were given orders not to send more than 3 cases every month.

The cochlear implant which will give light to helpless children who are deaf and dumb is being considered as unnecessary expenditure by the State Govt. Various hindrances are created for those who come for these operations under Arogya Sri scheme.

The motive is to reduce the number of cochlear implants and lessen the financial burden on the Govt. During the regime of Late Sri YSR 300 operations were done every year but now hardly 50 operations were being done The misery of the parents who agonize over the future of their children has become a cry in the wilderness to the Govt.

Toddlers , of one or two years of age  respond with smiles and half understood sweet sounds to the sound of their mothers  voice, To watch their  sweet smiling faces at that time is a heartwarming experience to the onlookers But if the child is deaf by birth and if he cannot hear the sound of his  mother’s voice and cannot respond with a sweet warbling sound ? !

Anyone’s heart with the least humanity would melt and would search for all kinds of ways to help the child. But the Govt is reacting exactly in the opposite way. It is deliberately putting obstructions in the way of granting hearing to the deaf children and thereby giving them the gift of speech Generosity during the time of Y.S……. evasive methods and obstructions now.

Late Sri Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had introduced the scheme of Arogya Sri  and under it the operations for cochlear implants were done freely but the present Govt is using the whip of strict rules and regulations on it Even when the child is fully fit to undergo the operation the Govt rejects the claim showing all kinds of funny reasons One child was rejected  saying her  birth certificate  was not correct ,another  the details of vaccination was not shown, another child that she looks older than two years , and one more child that the mother has not given proper counseling to her thus with all kinds of funny reasons the child’s claim is rejected The Govt also gave clear instructions to the referral hospitals which undertake  operations under Arogya Sri not to take up more than than three for a month.

Above all they have reduced the eligibility age from 12 to 2 years. The Govt is looking at the issue as a financial commitment instead of realizing its social responsibility. The Govt is not realizing If proper steps are  not taken in time an innocent child’s life will be spent in utter darkness. It is not only giving the child’s parents a never ending sorrow but is doing great injustice to the future generations It is taking quick steps to remove the cochlear implant operations from the purview of Arogya Sri scheme.

Getting ready for the removal:

In the Arogya Sri scheme the most costly  treatment is  that of cochlear implant For every implant the cost will come to6.5 lakhs Y.S. never gave importance to the cost he only thought of the social responsibility on the Govt he did not impose any limits to the number of children who came for the operation In the beginning the age limit used to be below 6 years but after an appeal by many doctors he raised it to 12 years.

There were many helpless children who gained a new life under this scheme. There are only five hospitals which have facilities todo this operation During the time of Y.S. each hospital  used to get at least ten children who came under this scheme On an average about seven or eight used to get the treatment It was 35  or 40 every month and about 350 every year the Govt used to sanction 6.5 lakhs  to each case and thereby spend 23 crores each year .

But after the death of Y.S. the situation changed drastically The Govt seemed determined to remove the treatment for cochlear implant from the Arogya Sri scheme .It imposed a rule that each hospital should refer only three cases per month Last year the eligible age for a child was reduced to two years from 12 years  it is generally impossible to diagnose this impairment at such a tender age hence many unfortunate children became ineligible to receive help from the Govt and became disabled permanently The children are being ruthlessly sent back if they were even a day older than two years.

Even if the child is of proper age they are being sent back on frivolous reasons .The parents of these unfortunate deaf and dumb children are helplessly going round  and round the  Arogya Sri office with no one to come to their rescue.

There is no one to answer the cries of the parents who keep asking why their children are being sent back even after fulfilling all the regulations In addition to it the parents who come for counseling have to face untold harrassment from the officials At present not more than 50  cochlear implants are being done by which the Govt is able to have savings of 9 crores.

Reasons for refusals:

Sakshi was able to obtain the report given by the Arogya Sri committee  spelling out the reasons for refusing treatment to some children.                    

• The mother has not given proper speech therapy to the child hence the case is pending ( The number on the Arogya Sri card of the child 31961/12 )

• The details of the ration card are not available in the public distribution system ( The number on the card 0825023A0026/03 )

• The boy looks older than two years hence refused treatment ( card number WAP 158518100454/06 )

• The mother must be given counseling first then only treatment to the child ( The number on the card 30500/2012 ) ( very soon the child will cross the two yeas limit )

• The birth certificate is all right but vaccination certificate must be submitted otherwise there is no treatment ( The number on the ration card WAP 181300200492 )

• The details given by the nurse at the time of delivery should be added to the birth certificate Till then the case may be kept pending ( card number 121603500121/2007 )

-Sakshipost