The Congress in Kerala has pledged to support 50 hearing-impaired children with cochlear implant upgrades as a tribute to the late Oommen Chandy. The initiative comes after Onmanorama highlighted the struggles of these children, who couldn’t afford the upgrades due to alleged government inaction. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran made this announcement after visiting Amitha, one of the affected children, at her home in Kanjoor near Aluva. The party will cover the expenses for Amitha’s treatment, considering it a significant tribute to Oommen Chandy’s memory.
During his tenure as chief minister, Oommen Chandy introduced the Sruthitharangam scheme, which provided hearing aid support to over 600 children. Unfortunately, the Pinarayi Vijayan government halted the scheme, leading to children losing their hearing abilities due to lack of funding. Oommen Chandy expressed his dismay over the government’s indifference towards these children in a statement on June 15.
For each child requiring an upgrade, an estimated Rs 5 lakh is needed, and the Congress aims to cover the expenses for all children in need. However, due to financial constraints, they have decided to assist 50 children in the first phase. K Sudhakaran called upon like-minded individuals and organizations to step forward and help these children in need.
Interestingly, the government recently approved Rs 59.48 lakh for cochlear implant upgrades, but this decision will only benefit 25 hearing-impaired adolescents and teenagers whose devices have become obsolete. The opposition’s announcement aligns with this development, highlighting the ongoing concern for the well-being of hearing-impaired children in the state.
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