A Mission That Aims To Restore Sight And Hearing Of The Underprivileged Children

Transparent Hands, a Pakistan based trust organization, is on a mission to fund cataract surgeries and cochlear implants of children who hail from less well-off families.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Oct 5^th, 2021) In a country where children from underprivileged backgrounds have to toil hard for a piece of bread all day, finding ways to fund their health expenditure is certainly a tough nut to crack. But not all hope is lost for Pakistani children, especially if they are suffering from disorders of the eyes & ears. Transparent Hands, a Pakistan based trust organization, is on a mission to fund cataract surgeries and cochlear implants of children who hail from less well-off families.

The possibility of ocular disorders cannot be ruled out at any point in modern-day life, courtesy of the pollutants our eyes are exposed to all the time. Cataracts are one such major ocular disorder. In developing countries that have cities with the highest air quality indexes, cataracts are one of the leading causes of blindness. According to studies conducted by the WHO, air pollution is responsible for ¼ of the total disease burden.

Cataract surgery is an expensive medical procedure, one that is well out of reach of many underprivileged patients in Pakistan. Lack of awareness, fear of surgery, and postponement of surgery so that cataract matures first are some of the other key barriers. However, the cost of the surgical procedure remains the biggest barrier to surgery.

Transparent Hands strives hard to ensure that all hope is not lost for patients who cannot fund their cataract surgery. During this surgical procedure, the clouded lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens. This artificial lens is known as the intraocular lens and becomes the permanent part of the patient undergoing cataract surgery.

Loss of hearing is another major health concern for the Pakistani population. Children who suffer from congenital deafness or have a hard time listening properly qualify for a cochlear implant.

This refers to the surgical implantation of an electronic device that restores hearing partially. An implant of such nature is an ideal choice for children since hearing aids aren’t always effective.

An incision big enough to create a small hole is made, sot that a niche for the internal device is created. Then, a cochlear opening is created for threading the internal device’s electrode. Finally, the incision is stitched and the device is implanted successfully beneath the children’s skin. It is the job of an audiologist to set the device and adjust the sound pressures post a cochlear implant surgery.

Like certain other surgical procedures, cochlear implants are also an expensive procedure. They can cost as much as $30,000. This expensive nature is one of the key reasons why many patients are reluctant to undergo a cochlear implant.

It is believed that out of every 1000 Pakistani, 7-8 are deaf. The percentage of children among these patients is quite high.

Transparent Hands is fully cognizant of this alarming situation. A visit to the website’s crowdfunding portal reveals that many children from underprivileged backgrounds have already had a cochlear implant, thanks to the generous donations made by the donors. But the trust organization is going to keep up its good work by promoting the cause of thousands of children in Pakistan who suffer from hearing issues.

Pakistan’s healthcare challenges are numerous, but the issues of sight and hearing are imminent threats that need to be countered quickly and effectively. Organizations like Transparent Hands will have to continue the good work they have been doing for the last few years if we are to defeat these sensory disorders. A combined effort by the government and private sector certainly promises a bright future for Pakistan.