The Ministry of Health and Community Protection reported that it recently implemented a compulsory hearing screening system for newborns in all its affiliated hospitals, with the aim of early intervention if any diseases or problems that might lead to hearing disabilities were discovered, confirming that it had successfully restored the hearing of 30 children within the initiative « Help me to hear », at a cost exceeding four million dirhams, according to the assistant undersecretary for the sector of health centers and clinics, Dr. Hussein Al-Rand.
Al-Rand said in press statements, on the sidelines of the Gulf Conference 12, and the tenth UAE conference for ENT diseases, audiology and communication disorders, yesterday, that the ministry recently imposed a mandatory system for hearing neonatal examination in all its hospitals, with the aim of preventing and treating all hearing diseases, Through early detection and intervention, before cases worsen and turn into full hearing disabilities.
He pointed out that the ministry succeeded through the "Help Me Hear" initiative that it launched to treat children with low hearing, who have low income, in restoring the hearing of 30 children by conducting a cochlear implant. The cost of one operation reached about 135 thousand dirhams, with a total value of more than four million Aed.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Dubai Health Authority, the Gulf Conference was opened by Hamid Mohammed Al Qatami, and more than 3,000 doctors from 36 countries, including heads of associations, participated in it. Regional and global, and delegations from Russia, Italy and Japan, for the first time, and the conference lasts three days, and is accompanied by a medical exhibition specializing in the ear, nose and throat.
Development of prevention methods
The Director General of the Dubai Health Authority, Hamid Mohammed Al Qatami, said that the environmental and health problems that the world is witnessing today is a major challenge for scientists, and research centers specializing in ear, nose and throat medicine, given that this specialization and its diseases are linked to pollution levels and another group of diseases Chronic and non-chronic, directly affecting these senses, which are subject to serious complications, so there remains a need to develop methods of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and the development of professional practices, and to enable doctors to tools and equipment that help them to combat and prevent these diseases.
Delighting 30 patients
The Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health Centers and Clinics Sector, Dr. Hussein Al-Rand, praised the success of the humanitarian initiative “Help Me Hear”, which was launched by the Ministry of Health and Community Protection in 2017, with the support of manufacturers of the audio implant system, charities, and charitable owners, and was able to help 30 patients from Various nationalities have, to date, through cochlear implantation to assist low-income children with hearing loss, between the ages of six months and four years.