Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD,: Six cochlear implant surgeries successfully conducted at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) with the support of UK-based charity organization.In a major step toward improving healthcare access for hearing-impaired children, six deserving candidates received free cochlear implants at the Children’s Hospital, PIMS.This initiative was carried out by the UK-based charity organization International Medical Relief Agency (IMRA) in collaboration with Islamabad Courses of ENT (ICE).The surgeries were performed by Dr. Noweed Ahmed, a UK-based specialist from James Cook University Hospital, as part of an ongoing program.This effort follows similar projects in October 2022 and December 2023, where six children received implants each year.Executive Director of PIMS, Prof. Dr. Imran Sikandar, expressed his gratitude and highlighted the significance of the initiative.“We are proud that PIMS is becoming a hub for cochlear implants. After reviewing over two dozen cases, six deserving children were selected for these life-changing procedures.”He said, “While we aim to institutionalize this service, we are facing severe funding challenges. We plan to seek government support to ensure this facility becomes widely available to the most deserving children.”Dr. Sikandar also cited data from the World Health Organization (WHO), noting that as of October 2018, 10 million Pakistanis were living with some form of hearing impairment.He emphasized that early intervention is essential for children born deaf or those who lose hearing before developing speech, as untreated hearing loss can result in lifelong disabilities.Prof. Dr. Altaf Hussain, Head of the ENT Department at PIMS, described the importance of cochlear implants and acknowledged the role of IMRA in making the surgeries possible.
