Over 1,000 get hearing aids, treatment in Musanze

Over 1,000 people with hearing impairment in the Northern and Western provinces were screened to get hearing aids and treatment by Starkey Hearing Foundation, an American-based charity.The beneficiaries yesterday underwent the first step of screening at Ruhengeri Hospital in Musanze District.According to Olive Umusoni, the Hearing Health Co-ordinator in Rwanda, audiologists from the Starkey Foundation have joined their Rwandan counterparts to identify people who either need hearing aids or treatment and help them.The aid help patients to hear irrespective of the intensity of their impairment.Umusoni said that in the ongoing screening, over 150 were found with ‘total loss’ and will, therefore, get hearing aids.Many were found in partial hearing condition, and were given medicine and advised to make periodical check-ups while the biggest number had wax inside their ears, which were cleaned up and they regained their hearing sense.She added that the foundation is operating in many developing countries with an aim of helping people with hearing loss to hear again.Thousands of Rwandans have been treated since the foundation started working in Rwanda in 2011, while over 2,000 have since received hearing aids.“We treat them for free because the founder believes everyone has a right to hear and decided to use his money to support people with hearing impairments,” said Umusoni.Apart from treating them, they also follow up on patients in case they develop any complication.Gilbert Habimana, 27, is dumb but he got a chance to attend the deaf school where he learnt how to read and write.“I was three years old when I got this impairment. I learnt that people were getting treatment and decided to come and see if I can hear again.“I hope it will work because I was told that some people who couldn’t hear are now hearing after they received treatment,” Habimana wrote in a booklet.Dr Deo Ndekezi, the Director of Ruhengeri Hospital, said it was an opportunity to have Starkey Hearing Foundation treat the people.He said it was also an opportunity for Rwandan doctors to exchange knowledge with more experienced doctors brought by the foundation.

National

Over 1,000 get hearing aids, treatment in Musanze