Kerala allocates Rs 8.80 crore for Sruthitharangam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has sanctioned Rs 8.80 crore for the ‘Sruthitharangam’ project, to provide free cochlear implant to hearing impaired children between zero to five years.

Social Justice Minister K K Shailaja said from this fiscal the programme will come out with a difference as the cochlear implant will be carried out in two ears.

“Earlier cochlear implantation was carried out in one of the ears. The implantation in two ears will first be carried out on 19 children. So far, financial assistance has been given to 948 children and in the 2018-19, 113 children were provided with total assistance of Rs 5.85 crore,” said Shailaja. According to the minister, the programme also offers auditory verbal habilitation.