Rwanda Military Hospital has opened the first audiology clinic in the country. The clinic, which will diagnose, test, make and fit hearing aids for those with irreversible hearing impairments, will cater for the many patients with hearing impairments. It is the third in Africa after others in Kenya and South Africa. Dr Eugene Twagirumukiza, the head of Ear, Nose and Throat department, yesterday, said they had so far received 35 cases since the clinic opened doors on Monday. Twenty-seven patients have received hearing aids.Major Dr Christophe Sayinzoga, an ear, nose and throat surgeon, said although there are no statistics documented, he receives many cases of hearing problems from different parts of the country."For example, I have received over 60 people with hearing problems from only Huye and Kirehe in the past two months. This means the problem is big,” he said.Five Rwandan doctors have been trained to handle these cases. According to Dr Elme Selecial, one of the specialists at the hospital hearing aids are easy to fix in just a day. Twagirumukiza estimated that the hospital will handle five to ten patients a day.  Medics say a patient can use the hearing gadgets for five to ten years.According to doctors, hearing loss can be caused by prolonged exposure to loud noises (acoustic trauma) which causes damage to the inner ear, viral infections of the inner ear, such as mumps or measles, and viral infections of the auditory nerve.