Fully NABH accredited NABH, ISO certified Orange City Hospital & Research Institute (a unit of Ravi Nair Hospitals Private Limited) and Nagpur’s only hospital from Nagpur have retained its inclusion in THE WEEK annual National surveys of India’s best hospitals since 2006 regularly conducts Cochlear Implant Surgeries to provide much needed advanced succor to needy children who are unable to hear from birth. OCHRI had launched their Cochlear Implant program under the name of “Project Geethaâ€- Freedom from deafness movement on 16th August 2015. Parents of children born with hearing defects now have a new ray of hope. Such hearing-impaired children in the city and central India now look forward to this new bionic ear implant, which not only allows them to hear but also speak normally. The surgery involved planting a bionic ear in a patient suffering from profound hearing loss.
Dr. Usha Nair- RNHPL Director mentioned that Covid- 19 Pandemic crisis has placed unprecedented demands on resources leading to repurposing of surgical wards/ICU beds/OTs, and relocation of specialists, surgeons, nurses and paramedical staff to help with workload of COVID-19 cases. This had resulted in complete stoppage of elective surgeries. Such cancelation of all elective operations has already created a huge backlog of patients waiting for surgeries. It is a worldwide challenge to restart elective surgery during/after COVID-19 pandemic.
Recently after Covid-19 pandemic, Cochlear Implant Surgery program resumed at OCHRI. OCHRI was the one of the first hospitals in city to have been requisitioned by Government to tackle Covid crisis. Considering the present slowdown of Covid cases, normal Non Covid OPD and indoor admissions are now in full swing at OCHRI to cover the backlog of elective cases. Recently 2 Cochlear Implants surgeries were done in a day at OCHRI by ENT Surgeons Dr. Nandu Kolwadkar and Dr. Sameer Choudhary led by Mentor & Chief Surgeon Padma Shree Dr. Milind V. Kirtane and supported by Audiologists Dr. Ashish Disawal and Ms. Neelu Somani.
Commending the exceptional OCHRI team spirit; Dr Milind Kirtane appreciated full time OCHRI Anesthesiologists Dr. Neeta Deshpande, Dr. Smita Harkare, Dr. Anita Pande and Pediatrician Dr. Anju Mehrotra for their contribution to success of the surgeries. It is added that OCHRI was the first hospital to have undertaken organ donation and kidney transplant surgery during this Covid times.  Dr. Milind Pande- Pathologist, Dr. Nishikant Lokhande & Team of Radiologists, Dr. Azad Shaikh, Dr. Shrinivas Budde, Dr. Kavita Dhurvey, Dr. Anit Prakash, Sr. Jessy, Sr. Nish Ashok, Sr. Lata Kakde, Mrs. Manjiri Damle, Smt. Priya Sashi and Shri.Avinash Ganar led respective teams for successful well-coordinated Cochlear Implant surgery program.
Dr. Anup Marar- OCHRI Director who is spearheading regular resumption of all OCHRI health related activities stated that “Public should understand the new 2021 routine with resumption of all activities will henceforth be wearing masks always and hand sanitization before touching face and hands.â€
For Cochlear Implant Surgery registrations, one can connect with Smt.Manjiri Damle- OCHRI CIP Coordinator in 9763412153.
