Lions Club offers free ear screening to community
A total of 127 people including pupils of the Cape Coast school for the deaf were on Tuesday screened at the Cape Coast hearing assessment centre.
The two-day free ear screening exercise was organized by Ghana Lions club, in collaboration with the Audiology department of the University of Utah, USA and the Audiology department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
The hearing assessment centre, which is located at the Cape Coast school for the deaf was jointly established in January this year by the Ghana Lions Association and Mr Ebo Barton Oduro Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North constituency.
Dr. John Ribera, a professional Audiologist at the Utah State University, in an interview with the GNA said the exercise was a voluntary service from both students of Utah State and the University of Ghana to assist those with hearing impairments.
He noted with concern that Ghana, with a total population of about 25 million has only eight audiologists and described the situation as discouraging.
Dr Ribera however said currently, six audiologists were pursuing their Masters Degrees and would be graduating this November whilst four people were pursuing degrees courses.
He said with the small number of audiologists it would be very difficult to address the needs of people with hearing impairment and stressed that it was imperative to put up a curriculum to train more audiologists.
Mr. Ribera commended the pupils and people for patronizing the exercise and said out of the number only one girl, who had stones in her ear was referred to the Central Regional Hospital for further treatment. He said those with serious problems would be sent to the United states for hearing aids to be made for them.
Dr Peter Appiah-Thompson of the Ear and Throat Department of the Central Regional hospital expressed his gratitude for the exercise and the provision of hearing aids by Starkey hearing Foundation because the aids were very expensive and only a few could afford.
“It costs about GH¢350.00 to acquire a used hearing aid whilst a new one cost around Gh¢700.00
He also commended the Lions Club for the Centre, noting that, apart from the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital, the Cape Coast centre was the second hearing assessment centre in the Country.
Source: GNA