Assam government provides free hearing aids to 200 in need

200 financially disadvantaged individuals from Assam, including children with hearing impairments, received free hearing aids at a free camp organised by the Deen Dayal Sravana Foundation in collaboration with the state's National Health Mission (NHM).

The free hearing aids were distributed to people from Kamrup Metropolitan, Kamrup, Morigaon, and Nalbari districts in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, at the Assam Water Centre, Basistha, in Guwahati.

With 200 more individuals to receive free aids on September 26, CM Sarma emphasised that, in the first phase of the initiative by the Deendayal Sravana Foundation, a total of 400 economically disadvantaged individuals would benefit.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Sarma informed that the distribution of hearing aids was held to commemmorate the 109th birth anniversary of Pandit Upadhyaya, who championed the upliftment of society's most marginalised individuals through his concept of Antyodaya.

CM Sarma underscored that true societal progress is achievable only when each individual is empowered, a principle central to Pandit Upadhyaya's philosophy of Integral Humanism.

Expressing gratitude to Regula Ramanjaneyulu, founder and chairman of the Deen Dayal Sravana Foundation, and to all those involved in executing this initiative, CM Sarma congratulated the hearing aid recipients and conveyed his gratitude to the stakeholders, including Coal India Limited, for their role in supporting the cause.

CM Sarma highlighted that an estimated 3.40 crore children worldwide are currently affected by hearing impairment, while approximately 30 per cent of individuals over the age of 60 have experienced a loss of hearing ability. He cited data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and noted that around 6.30 crore people in India are dealing with significant hearing impairments.

200 more individuals from Bongaigaon, Chirang, Kokrajhar, and Goalpara disgtricts would receive hearing aids at a programme scheduled in Bongaigaon on September 26.