Saturday, March 19 2005 17:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A 22-year-old Pakistani woman became the first patient from the neighbouring country to be successfully implanted with a device to help her hear again.

"We have tested the device implanted and it is functioning to its potential. she will definitely hear once again," visibly buoyant Head of the ENT Unit at Dr R M L Hospital, Dr J M Hans, who performed 'Cochlear Implantation' surgery on Hajra Dawood at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi today (March 19, 2005), told sources.

"We have already tested the implanted device through Neural Response Telemetry and it is working fine," he said.

This is the first time that a patient from Pakistan has been implanted Cochlear Implantation. Out of 53 operations, so far, besides three that were done on people of Indian origin who have now settled in Toronto for last 25 years, all were done on patients within the country, he said.

The patient's visa, however, permits her to stay in India for a month while she needs about two to three months for post-operative monitoring and speech therapy sessions, which cannot be done in Pakistan, Hans said.

"I will request the concerned officials to extend her visa so that she could be given full treatment here itself," the surgeon said.