One in every thousand people in Bangladesh is born with deafness. An estimated thirty thousand people are currently living with severe deafness. For people with severe to profound deafness, cochlear implant surgery is a revolutionary surgery performed to produce useful hearing sensations to them. Unlike a hearing aid, it does not make sound louder or clearer. Instead, the device bypasses non functioning parts of the hearing system and directly stimulates the nerve of hearing, allowing deaf individuals to receive sound.

The surgery first started in ENT department of Mitford Hospital at government level in December, 2006. In last December, the surgery was performed again for third time in Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital under ENT surgeon Professor Dr Md Zahedul Alam. Professor Pran Gopal Dutta inaugurated the event this year.

Children born with congenital deafness or who become deaf after birth are the suitable candidates for cochlear implantations.