Bengaluru: In the run-up to World Hearing Day (March 3) and International Cochlear Implant Day (February 25), Manasa Cochlear Implant and ENT Centre is set to host Shravya Sambhrama, a public awareness and outreach event highlighting the importance of early hearing detection and inclusive education for children with hearing loss.
The programme will be held on March 1, 2026, from 8 am to 12.30 pm at the Town Hall, JC Road, Bengaluru. The event is expected to draw medical professionals, parents, educators and policymakers committed to strengthening early intervention systems in Karnataka.
The event will be graced by senior dignitaries including Shalini Rajneesh, Chief Secretary; U. T. Khader, Hon’ble Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly; and Dinesh Gundu Rao, Hon’ble Minister for Health.
Led by Dr Vasanthi Anand, Consultant Cochlear Implant Surgeon, the Manasa Cochlear Implant and ENT Centre has completed over 850 cochlear implant surgeries, enabling children born with profound hearing loss to develop speech and language skills. Dr Anand is associated with leading city hospitals including Kaule Hospital, Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital and Rainbow Children’s Hospital in Bengaluru.
Medical experts underline that undetected hearing loss in infancy can significantly delay speech and language development. “No hearing means no speech and language development,” doctors reiterate, stressing that newborn hearing screening at birth is critical for timely intervention.
For children with more than 90 per cent hearing loss, cochlear implantation before one year of age is strongly recommended. Specialists say that surgery during the “golden period” of brain development greatly enhances speech and language outcomes, enabling children to integrate into mainstream classrooms.
Dr Vasanthi Anand has also played a key role in the Shravana Dosha Mukta Karnataka initiative, launched in 2016 in collaboration with J. M. Hans, Padma Shri awardee, and U. T. Khader. The programme has facilitated hundreds of free cochlear implant surgeries across the State.
The theme of the event-Early Detection, Early Implant, Ready for Classroom-reinforces a clear message: No child should be left behind due to hearing loss.
Manasa Cochlear Implant and ENT Centre is located at 29th ‘C’ Cross, 4th Block, Jayanagar, Bengaluru.
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