Hear and now: Railway hospital in Byculla runs out of cochlear implants

Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Byculla, commonly known as Byculla Railway Hospital, does the cochlear implant surgery free for employees and their kin. Representation pic

The ‘Make in India' policy seems to have created a huge problem for some children with hearing and speech impairment, as the Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Byculla, commonly known as Byculla Railway Hospital, has run out of cochlear implants. At least eight kids from across the country are waiting for their implants and surgeries for the same at this hospital, which performs it free for railway employees and their kin. But cochlear implants are only imported and not made in India, and the Railway Board, under Make in India, requires 20% local content, a criteria which vendors were unable to meet.

Growing up without sound

This is the only Railway hospital that has the cochlear implant surgery facility and gets patients from across the country. Yogendra Pathak, 59, grandfather of Harshi Pathak, 2, had travelled all the way from Kota during the lockdown to get a cochlear implant for her, but returned empty handed. Pathak's family first discovered that Harshi had a hearing problem when she was six months old. "It has been three months since we took her to the Byculla Railway Hospital. We were told that the implant is out of stock and they will let us know when it is available. We are still to hear from them, and Harshi is growing up without being able to hear properly," he said.

Tejpal Meena, father of Akhil Meena, 3, has a similar story. After finding that his son has a hearing impairment, he took him to the Byculla Railway hospital where he was told the implant is out of stock. "These are the important days of learning and I cannot afford the implant in a private hospital. I wish to give my son a good quality of life," he said. Harshi and Akhil are among 1-6 infants per 1,000 who are born with significant hearing loss. Health experts say timely detection of the hearing impairment, followed by early intervention with hearing aids or cochlear implants as indicated, can help such children live a normal life.

With parents struggling to get the implant and surgery done at the Byculla Railway Hospital, the National Railway Mazdoor Union (NRMU) has written a letter to the chairman and chief executive officer, the Railway Board. "There has been an inordinate delay in surgeries for cochlear implants because of their non-availability," said Venu Nair, secretary, NRMU.

NRMU urges urgent solution

In the letter, the NRMU said the main reason for the situation is the Railway Board's ‘Make in India Policy'. "This is a newly introduced procurement policy released by the Railway board that states a requirement of 20% local content. Vendors who participated in the tendering process for import of the implant, failed to meet the local content criteria of the new policy and had to withdraw," said Nair. The NRMU has requested to consider and allow procurement of cochlear implants on compassionate grounds. "The sooner a child with hearing loss is treated, the more likely he/she will acquire speech ability. We hope the ministry finds a viable solution at the earliest," said Nair.

While speaking to Midday, Shivaji Sutar, Chief PRO, Central Railway said instructions have been given for procurement. "We are getting cochlear implant as per our requirement. The instructions have been given to expedite the process of procurement. The patients have options to get the cochlear implant surgery done outside and claim reimbursement," he said. However Nair says these are excuses and not the true picture. "We they are getting the cochlear implants then why are the relatives of the patient complaining? If reimbursement is an option then why it has not been conveyed to them," he questioned.

Cochlear implant

A cochlear implant is an advanced hearing aid. It is a small electronic device with little receptors and is implanted inside the skin near the ear. Each cochlear implant costs around Rs 5 lakh.