6 years on, sadhu gets his voice back
TNN | Mar 1, 2019, 11:05 IST
Nilgiri Maharaj with Dr Monoj Mukherjee at NRS hospitalKOLKATA: Cancer of the larynx had robbed Niligiri Maharaj from Tarapith Mahashashan of his voice for over six years. The sadhu finally got his voice back on Thursday after doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital performed a surgery and implanted an artificial voice box. The state government provided the device for free.
Visibly overwhelmed to be able to speak again, Maharaj said he was overjoyed that he would be able to communicate with his followers once more. “I am happy to be able to speak again. I am thankful to the doctors and the hospital,” he said before being discharged.
Detected with the cancer in 2012, Maharaj’s voice box was removed at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital and a voice prosthesis or an artificial voice box was implanted. At that time, a disciple had paid for the device, which cost around Rs 50,000. But these voice boxes need regular replacement owing to leakage in the valve. Maharaj’s device stopped working within a year.
“The patient came to us about a week ago. We applied to the health department for the device. He has found his voice back after the voice box was surgically implanted,” said Dr Monoj Mukherjee, assistant professor of ENT at NRSMCH. In fact, Mukherjee was the one who performed the first surgery on Maharaj at Burdwan back in 2012. The sadhu kept in touch with him and contacted him at NRS.
“This was possible because of the government’s policy of providing free health care to patients in state-run hospitals. We may again requisition for costly devices if required,” said Dr Dwipayan Biswas, deputy superintendent at NRS.
Visibly overwhelmed to be able to speak again, Maharaj said he was overjoyed that he would be able to communicate with his followers once more. “I am happy to be able to speak again. I am thankful to the doctors and the hospital,” he said before being discharged.
Detected with the cancer in 2012, Maharaj’s voice box was removed at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital and a voice prosthesis or an artificial voice box was implanted. At that time, a disciple had paid for the device, which cost around Rs 50,000. But these voice boxes need regular replacement owing to leakage in the valve. Maharaj’s device stopped working within a year.
“The patient came to us about a week ago. We applied to the health department for the device. He has found his voice back after the voice box was surgically implanted,” said Dr Monoj Mukherjee, assistant professor of ENT at NRSMCH. In fact, Mukherjee was the one who performed the first surgery on Maharaj at Burdwan back in 2012. The sadhu kept in touch with him and contacted him at NRS.
“This was possible because of the government’s policy of providing free health care to patients in state-run hospitals. We may again requisition for costly devices if required,” said Dr Dwipayan Biswas, deputy superintendent at NRS.
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