First Cochlear Implant Adds Another Feather To AIIMS Jammu’s Cap, Expanding Advanced ENT Care For The Region

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Jammu has added yet another milestone to its growing clinical capabilities, performing its first cochlear implant surgery—marking the start of much-needed specialised, advanced ENT and hearing rehabilitation services in the region.

The procedure was performed by an ENT surgical team led by Dr. Darwin Kaushal, Additional Professor and Head of ENT, along with Dr. Amardeep Singh, Dr. Youshita, Dr. Gunjan and audiologist Nityansh Saluja. The multi-disciplinary coordination between surgeons, audiologists and technical staff ensured comprehensive pre-operative and post-operative care, a spokesperson said.

The team worked under the mentorship of Prof (Dr.) Rakesh Kumar, Head, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, AIIMS New Delhi, who guided the surgical planning and postoperative auditory rehabilitation protocol.

“This marks the formal establishment of a full-fledged cochlear implant programme at AIIMS Jammu, aligned with the Government’s commitment to expanding advanced healthcare to underserved regions,” Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Kumar Gupta, Executive Director and CEO of AIIMS Jammu, said. The initiative has been supported through Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) funding for eligible patients, he added. The anaesthesia team—Dr. Shruti Sharma, Dr. Slomi Gupta and Dr. Bisma—ensured safe intra-operative care, while senior nursing staff played a pivotal role in peri-operative patient safety and infection control standards.

In fact cochlear implantation is just one component of a larger strategy to strengthen ENT and hearing-related services. The institute plans to expand facilities for micro-ear surgery, advanced endoscopic sinus surgery, vertigo clinics, audiological diagnostics and speech therapy-based rehabilitation.

When contacted, Dr. Rakesh Kumar told The Health Outlook that cochlear implants can transform lives—but success depends on timely detection. “If a child’s hearing loss is detected early, ideally within the first year of life, the implant enables near-normal hearing and development of speech,” he said, adding that former implant recipients are now studying engineering or medicine and working professionally.

Dr. Kumar called for universal newborn screening to identify high-risk children earlier to be followed by Auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) for at least three years which he said is crucial for brain adaptation. “Also government funds are available for such surgeries, parents of a child with hearing loss should come forward for early intervention.”

He cautioned that couples marrying late, those with a family history of hearing impairment, or those entering consanguineous marriages should seek pre-conception genetic counselling to reduce the risk of children being born with hearing impairment.

“With the cochlear and ENT programme now active in AIIMS Jammu, patients from far-flung districts of Jammu & Kashmir will no longer need to travel to Delhi or other metros for such services,” Dr. Rakesh Kumar said.

Officials remarked that the first cochlear implant signals not only a clinical breakthrough but also a broader transformation in ENT care, strengthening Jammu’s capacity to deliver high-quality, affordable specialised services at patients’ doorsteps.

Alongside ENT upgrades, AIIMS Jammu has also rolled out digital and patient-support initiatives such as Indoor Navigation Apps, Patient Care Coordinators and Rogi Sahayak Mitras.

Healthcare outreach has expanded to remote and border blocks through health camps, telemedicine services and ENT screening programmes. AIIMS Jammu has also integrated AI in radiology, pathology, and decision-support systems, allowing faster diagnostics and reduced waiting time for critical investigations.

The institute’s Centre for Advanced Genomics and Precision Medicine is conducting research in precision oncology and genetic disorders, and newer oncology services—radiation therapy and chemotherapy day care—have expanded cancer care access.

Technology upgrades including Total Laboratory Automation and dry-slide biochemistry are expected to strengthen diagnostic reliability, while a new Digital Library will support academic training and collaboration.