Health Ministry’s hearing loss programme slated for next year

Jun 25, 2008 News

The problem of hearing loss in Guyana was regarded as a major problem by Guatemala-based Audiologist, Patricia Castellanos, during an interview with Kaieteur News yesterday.

Castellanos who offers her expertise through the Christian Blind Mission (CBM), a charitable organisation which helps address disability concerns worldwide, stressed that hearing loss must be viewed as an urgent matter.

She said that the fact that hearing loss has not been placed on a priority agenda here is of concern, but noted that collaborative efforts will shortly be engaged to reverse this trend.

In this regard, she revealed that a team of officials from CBM is here, and the body is currently working on a proposal for a programme which will provide support to the local health ministry.

This she said will be done through a school screening project aimed at detecting children with hearing loss and other related problems even as treatment intervention is effected.

In addition to audiology technicians being equipped with relevant knowledge to address the problem of hearing loss, Castellanos said that school teachers will also be aptly prepared to detect students with hearing loss.

She said it is anticipated that through this project students will be afforded screening tests throughout their schooling period so as to arrest any looming problems.

According to CBM Project Coordinator, Fernanda Varela, the project will be similar to the visions screening programme currently in schools locally which is being undertaken through the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

She added that the hearing venture has already been embraced by PAHO too, and that Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy has given his full commitment and enthusiasm to seeing it become a reality.

Another CBM Project Coordinator, Lisa McDonald, said that though CBM has been in Guyana for several years rendering assistance in the area of blindness it has continually been developing projects to address ear heath care.

Head of Audiology at the GPHC Dr Ruth Quaicoe, confirmed that the CBM officials are currently helping to complete a proposal for the hearing loss programme which is slated to be engaged next year.

This venture, she said will see the audiology service being expanded to all regions of Guyana.
So far several audiology staffers have been trained in this regard with at least one staffer of each hospital being trained with a view of them training others.

The project she said is expected to boost the ongoing CBM programmes that are in about 20 pilot schools countrywide.