Gandhinagar, Feb 28 (IANS) Gujarat will expand access to advanced hearing restoration for children and upgrade community health infrastructure under time-bound plans, Health Minister Praful Pansheriya told the state Assembly on Saturday.

Replying to questions on the treatment of congenital deafness, the minister described cochlear implant therapy as “a blessing for congenitally deaf children” and said the facility is available in eight hospitals across the state.

“These include Civil Hospital, Asarwa and G.M.E.R.S., Sola in Ahmedabad; Civil Hospital, Gandhinagar; G.G. Hospital, Jamnagar; P.D.U. Civil Hospital, Rajkot; New Civil Hospital, Surat; S.S.G. Hospital, Vadodara; and Sir Takhatsinhji Hospital, Bhavnagar,” he said.

He said Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital provides comprehensive services for children with congenital deafness, including hearing assessment, blood and radiological tests, evaluation of mental development, cochlear implant surgery and post-operative auditory verbal therapy.

“If a six-year-old child is unable to speak or hear, the child should be taken to the nearest Civil Hospital, where proper treatment can help develop hearing and speaking abilities,” he told the House.

The minister said the scheme is aimed at ensuring that expensive treatment is provided free of cost to children from poor and middle-class families.

“The entire cost of the surgery and implant is borne by the state government,” he said.

For replacement of the speech processor after surgery, the government pays 90 per cent of the total cost for families with an annual income of up to Rs 4 lakh, with parents contributing the remaining 10 per cent.

In a separate reply, Minister Pansheriya said the state has resolved to upgrade Community Health Centres from the existing 27-staff pattern to a 40-staff pattern to ensure modern treatment closer to people’s homes.

“As part of the plan, in-principle approval has been granted to strengthen Dhanera Community Health Centre with five additional specialists — a paediatrician, gynaecologist, physician, general surgeon and anaesthesiologist — along with extra paramedical and support staff,” he said.

He said the Dhanera centre currently provides indoor and outdoor services, including maternity and laboratory facilities, and would be equipped with additional specialists in accordance with prescribed standards as part of efforts to upgrade it towards sub-district hospital status.

Responding to questions on cancer care in Banaskantha district, the minister said patients with serious conditions are referred to Ahmedabad for super-specialist treatment.

He also informed the Assembly that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is launching a nationwide drive today (Saturday) to provide free vaccination to girls aged 14 to 15 years to prevent cervical cancer, with the Gujarat campaign being launched from Ahmedabad by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, covering eligible girls across the state.

–IANS

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