ISLAMABAD: Six cochlear implant surgeries were conducted at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) with the support of UK-based charity organisation, International Medical Relief Agency (IMRA).

According to a statement, in a major step toward improving healthcare access for hearing-impaired children, six deserving patients received free cochlear implants at the Children’s Hospital of Pims. This initiative was carried out by IMRA in collaboration with Islamabad Courses of ENT (ICE).

The surgeries were performed by Dr Noweed Ahmed, a UK-based specialist from James Cook University Hospital, as part of an ongoing programme. This effort follows similar projects in October 2022 and December 2023, when six children received implants each year.

Pims Executive Director Prof Dr Rana Imran Sikander said: “We are proud that Pims is becoming a hub for cochlear implants. After reviewing over two dozen cases, six deserving children were selected for these life-changing procedures. While we aim to institutionalise this service, we are facing severe funding challenges. We plan to seek government support to ensure this facility becomes widely available to the most deserving children.”

Dr Sikander also cited data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), noting that as of October 2018, 10 million Pakistanis were living with some form of hearing impairment. He said early intervention was essential for children born deaf or those who lose hearing before developing speech, as untreated hearing loss can result in lifelong disabilities.

Prof Dr Altaf Hussain, Head of the ENT Department at Pims, described the importance of cochlear implants and acknowledged the role of IMRA in making the surgeries possible.

“Blindness separates us from things, but deafness separates us from people. A cochlear implant is a sophisticated electronic device that stimulates the cochlear nerve to restore hearing. Sadly, public sector hospitals in Pakistan lack the resources to offer such procedures, leaving families at the mercy of private providers who charge over Rs3 million per surgery.

“IMRA has been instrumental in providing free surgeries for deserving children with its founder Dr Haroon Khan assuring us of biannual visits for similar programmes. This initiative not only brings relief to families but also helps Pims build capacity to offer these procedures independently in the future, provided we secure sufficient funding from the government or charitable donors,” he said.

The cost of cochlear implant surgeries, estimated at Rs3.5 million in the private sector, remains a significant barrier for most families in Pakistan. With IMRA’s support, Pims aims to make this life-changing technology accessible to the underprivileged, laying the foundation for a sustainable programme to address hearing impairments across the country.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2024