Addressing a get-together of children who had benefited from the government-sponsored free cochlear implant programme here today, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the "early- detection-facility" in this regard would be linked to taluk and district hospitals.
The aim of this programme would be to build a society where not a single child suffers from speech and hearing deficiencies, he said.
"The government is particular to ensure that no child would be denied treatment due to financial difficulties. No child in the state should suffer anymore due to speech and hearing impairment," Chandy said.
As part of the scheme, speech therapy training would be provided to mothers of children undergoing cochlear implant surgery, he said.
A total of 103 speech and hearing impaired children have benefited so far from "Sruthi Tharangam", the cochlear implantation programme which began in 2012 under aegis of the Social Justice Department and Kerala Social Security Mission.
The number of beneficiaries would be raised to 200 by this March and the surgery would be performed on another 200 during 2013-14, Social Welfare Minister Dr M K Muneer said.
The cochlear implant surgery, used to cost from Rs 5-8 lakh, is done free of cost for eligible children aged upto five years under the "Sruthi Tharangam" project.
