On December 20, Anjana underwent a cochlear implant performed by a team of doctors led by Ahmad Al Emadi, head of Department of ENT at Al Baraha Hospital, Dubai
When Springdales School, Dubai, reopened after winter vacation on January 8, Anjana Sreekumar Pillai, the 12-year-old daughter of a couple hailing from Coimbatore and currently based in Al Qusais, was the happiest student to step into the classroom. It also turned out to be the happiest New Year for the grade VI student.
On December 20, Anjana underwent a cochlear implant performed by a team of doctors led by Ahmad Al Emadi, head of Department of ENT at Al Baraha Hospital, Dubai. She was the first foreign national to undergo the costly procedure free of cost under 'Year of Giving', a charity initiative by the UAE Government. The external device synchronized with the cochlear implant was switched on after two weeks.
Anjana suffered a major hearing loss at the age of two due to an infection that occurred while she suffered viral fever. The infection left her with complete hearing loss in left ear and 50% impairment in the right ear. Anjana's parents, Sreekumar Pillai and C. Sreekala, stood with her and helped her develop language abilities and cognitive skills like other children so that she could go to a normal school.
“A hearing aid was fixed for the right ear from an ENT clinic in Coimbatore. Despite the impairment to the left ear, she could go to normal school like any other children. Now the surgery has brought her back to the world of sound and happiness. We are thankful to the UAE Government to have our daughter selected for the procedure under the Year of Giving, which otherwise would have been expensive,” said Ms. Sreekala over the phone to The Hindu.
Saravana Jayabalan, a doctor from Chennai attached to the ENT Department of Al Baraha Hospital, knew Anjana since her initial stages of hearing loss and referred her for the charity initiative.
“The procedure costs around Rs. 18.17 lakhs here. This is the first time a foreign national has a cochlear implant under the charity initiative of the Government. Since December last, 11 persons have undergone cochlear implant free of cost. We expect the UAE Government to help more Indian nationals in need,” said Dr. Jayabalan.
Anjana had one session of auditory verbal therapy which will have to be continued for some period. Mr. Sreekumar is into interior designing business in Dubai while Ms. Sreekala is a homemaker
On December 20, Anjana underwent a cochlear implant performed by a team of doctors led by Ahmad Al Emadi, head of Department of ENT at Al Baraha Hospital, Dubai. She was the first foreign national to undergo the costly procedure free of cost under 'Year of Giving', a charity initiative by the UAE Government. The external device synchronized with the cochlear implant was switched on after two weeks.
Anjana suffered a major hearing loss at the age of two due to an infection that occurred while she suffered viral fever. The infection left her with complete hearing loss in left ear and 50% impairment in the right ear. Anjana's parents, Sreekumar Pillai and C. Sreekala, stood with her and helped her develop language abilities and cognitive skills like other children so that she could go to a normal school.
“A hearing aid was fixed for the right ear from an ENT clinic in Coimbatore. Despite the impairment to the left ear, she could go to normal school like any other children. Now the surgery has brought her back to the world of sound and happiness. We are thankful to the UAE Government to have our daughter selected for the procedure under the Year of Giving, which otherwise would have been expensive,” said Ms. Sreekala over the phone to The Hindu.
Saravana Jayabalan, a doctor from Chennai attached to the ENT Department of Al Baraha Hospital, knew Anjana since her initial stages of hearing loss and referred her for the charity initiative.
“The procedure costs around Rs. 18.17 lakhs here. This is the first time a foreign national has a cochlear implant under the charity initiative of the Government. Since December last, 11 persons have undergone cochlear implant free of cost. We expect the UAE Government to help more Indian nationals in need,” said Dr. Jayabalan.
Anjana had one session of auditory verbal therapy which will have to be continued for some period. Mr. Sreekumar is into interior designing business in Dubai while Ms. Sreekala is a homemaker