Solomon Islands: The national burden of ear disease and suggested help for the deaf community.

Solomon Islands: The national burden of ear disease and suggested help for the deaf community.

Posted by : Frank Short Posted on : 03-Oct-2022
Solomon Islands The national burden of ear disease and suggested help for the deaf community

In 2018, yes already 4 years ago, I wrote and published the following letter (below) in the hope of getting free hearing aids for the community in the Solomon Islands suffering from hearing loss.

 My hopes were dashed after the report of Mr.Obiga Newton of the NRH’S ENT department who wrote to say the NRH did not have the capacity or the means of servicing or repairing any hearing aids that were then planned.

 Mr. Newton’s reservations were not shared at the time by the then CEO of the NRH and another specialist doctor at the NRH, who both felt the donation of free hearing aids should be obtained and then donor assistance be sought to build up the capacity for serving any repair work that might be necessary.

 The arrangements that I had made with the Western Australian Ear Science Institute fell though after Mr. Newton’s adverse comments, but the CEO, Dr.John Hue, said he would follow up the matter, but he apparently did not.

 I read today that those suffering from hearing loss in the United States will be able to obtain over-the counter hearing aids from this month and no prescription from a doctor will be required.

 With the promised fresh engagement of the United States with the Solomon Islands and the possibility of a US Embassy in Honiara, would it be possible for the US to assist the MHMS/NRH with free hearing aids and to ensure the hospital’s ENT department gets the training and equipment support to fully service hearing aids, to the satisfaction of Mr. Newton, if still employed in the ENT department?

 Here is my letter written four years ago.

 Quote.

In August 2012, Brother George van der Sant, the head of the school for deaf youths in Honiara, told a journalist from Radio New Zealand that the deaf were the most neglected of all the people with disabilities in the Solomon Islands.

Brother George said at the time there was no doubt there were thousands of deaf Solomon Islanders, particularly in remote parts of the country, who had lost their hearing through infection with malaria...

A nationwide survey in the Solomon Islands in 2005 found 14,000 people with disability in the country but it wasn’t established how many people were deaf.

In 2018, a paper published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology found, quote:

“In school students in the Solomon Islands, the implementation of routine School Ear and Hearing Programs could be beneficial, and should reduce the national burden of ear diseases.”

Since 2018, being aware of the acute problems of deafness in the Solomon Islands, especially those suffering from ear disease, I have endeavoured to secure free hearing aids for as many people as possible but, until recently, without success.

I was keenly motivated to want to help the children with deafness because it is a known finding that hearing loss can be a substantial barrier to education and social integration for learning oral communication, as well as academic and social participation.

Most recently in communication with the Ear Science Institute in Western Australia, I was delighted to learn the Institute had a hearing bank was keen to help me with gifted hearing aids to the Solomon Islands.

A request to the MHMS followed, asking for the type and numbers of hearing devices needed. That request is (still pending in 2022) and I really do hope the Institute will be given the answer soon.

My hopes have been dashed, somewhat, when I learned from advice given by Mr. Obiga Newton, the Audiometrist and an Otorhinolaryngology nurse working at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in the ENT Clinic, that hearing aid repair is unavailable in the Solomon Islands.

Mr. Newton, I understand, shares my concerns for the deaf community and would very much like to see the Ear Science Institute send hearing aids, but is concerned that without being able to repair any hearing aid locally that might become faulty, due to the high humidity in the Solomon Islands, whether it be the right time to take advantage of the hearing aid offer.

It is a question I believe must be left for the MHMS and the MHMS should ensure capacity measures are adopted to see hearing aids can be serviced locally and as soon as possible.

Similarly, I would strongly urge the Solomon Islands government to bring in early measures to fund and implement routine school Ear and Hearing programs given the acute problems of deafness prevailing amongst school children in the country in 2020, and now in 2022

End of quote.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

www.solomonislandsinfocus.com

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