A Cochlear Implant (CI) is an electronic medical device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear. Unlike hearing aids which make sounds louder, Cochlear Implants bypass the damaged hair cells of the inner ear or cochlea to provide sound signals to the brain. The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. On average, three to four in 1000 children are born with total or significant hearing loss, affecting about 350 million people worldwide. Children born with hearing impairment cannot develop speech, which affects their education and overall development, ultimately leading to social isolation. Hearing loss also has an adverse effect on memory, learning ability and job performance.

The Foundation has tied up with the country’s state-of-the-art hospitals to run this program. Children are operated upon by some of the leading Cochlear Implant surgeons at Apollo, Columbia Asia and Max City Hospitals. What started at a moderate scale of two to three operations per month, has now turned into a dynamic CI program run by the organization. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive programs of cochlear implantation and allied health services by any single organization in the country.

The Cochlear Implant program of THF works for children with hearing impairment, who are waiting for an opportunity, a chance at experiencing life, like every other child.