A two-year-old Indian girl who was born with hearing loss of sensory nerves since birth recently underwent a successful cochlear implant, led by the ENT team of Al Qasimi Hospital, Sharjah.

Dr Hussein Al Rand, assistant undersecretary of Health Centres and Clinics of the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) said the operation is the first procedure under the ministry's 'Help me hear' initiative.

According to the ministry, the electronic device was implanted in the child's inner ear, which will be followed with another procedure to insert a speech processor. Once the surgeries are complete, the child will be able to hear for the first time.

'Help me hear' initiative, was launched in cooperation with the ministry's strategic partners and is aimed towards helping deserving UAE children between the ages of six months to four years suffering from hearing loss and whose families cannot afford medical treatment.

The programme falls in line with the initiative of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to declare 2017 as the 'Year of Giving'.

The 'Help me hear' initiative aims to provide free assistance to children who are born with hearing loss and needy following the mandate of the state to provide free treatment for its citizens.

Source: Khaleej Times