By Sani Idris
The National Ear Care Centre (NECC), in collaboration with Med-El, a hearing implant company, had conducted two successful cochlear implant surgery in Kaduna.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the patients who had the implants were a six-year old boy and a 46-year-old woman, who had totally lost hearing.
Addressing journalists on Monday, in Kaduna, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the NECC , Dr Mustapha Abubakar-Yaro said the Centre, which had initially scheduled four surgeries, shifted the other two to a later date.
He said that cochlear implant surgery was the treatment for profound or total hearing loss, as it restores hearing.
The CMD noted that despite the multi-modality approach of the implant surgery, the Centre had all the equipment and trained personnel to handle it.
“We have the audiologists, surgeons, speech rehabilitation experts, and also a collaboration with the Med-El group from Egypt, to provide the implant and technical assistance to enable us have a successful implant programme.
“We also have specialists that after the implant, they can do the speech therapy, rehabilitation and monitor the device.
“We want to stand as a Centre of excellence for cochlear implant programme so that we can provide hope for deaf Nigerians”, he said.
The CMD stated that the Centre would provide a conducive environment for the programme to succeed, and also make their reports available to the minister of health to enable the government assist especially in providing the implant.
He added that the Centre would also collaborate with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and Non Governmental Organisations in order to support the programme.
“The cochlea device is not manufactured in Nigeria and it is quite expensive, we cannot provide it for free but the government, NGO’s and NHIS are part of the advocacy we want to make after the programme, so that it can be made available for Nigerians.
According to the CMD, the cochlear implant programme could reduce medical tourism.
“Cochlear implant is something Nigerians had to go abroad to have, now we are bringing it to their door steps “, he said.
” We are happy for commencing the cochlear implant programme and it’s a programme for the country, we seek for the support and cooperation of all meaning Nigerians for it to be a success.
“Cochlear implant in Nigeria has come to stay, we will look at all the challenges and see how we can improve on it”, he said.
He congratulated the cochlea implant team, who had worked tirelessly to ensure that the commencement of the program was a success.
“We also appreciate the Med-El group for making it possible for us, and providing training for our doctors which is going to be a continuous thing, we will also support them for the benefit of Nigerians”, the CMD said.
He urged the media and other relevant stakeholders to publicise the availability of cochlear implant in Nigeria, to complement the efforts of the Government against medical tourism.
Also speaking, Engr. Muhammad El-Disouky, Development Regional Manager, Med-El medical, Austria, expressed joy over the huge step taken on the National cochlear implant programme.
“We have been doing cochlear implant surgeries in Nigeria for quite some time, but it was not on a national level, doing it here in the NECC will make it a national cochlear implant programme.
El-Disouky said the cochlear implant device is the only known device to restore hearing for the profound and total hearing loss patients.
” it can change the life of the patients, who are sometimes a burden to the society, it’s a big step because there is need for so many cochlear implants in the world.
He added that although the requirements for the implant were not easy, Nigerians were lucky to meet up with the requirements.
“Because of Nigeria’s expertise and manpower in this Centre, the cochlear implant programme will be successful, we are very proud to have worked with you’, he said.
El-Disouky, however, explained that their mission was not to perform the surgery, but to launch a training camp to facilitate subsequent implants to be done with out their help.
“Med-El is a company that is known for its technology and services, which are very important to us because without the services, the expensive device is useless”, El-Disouky said.
He thanked the CMD for inviting many surgeons and clinicians, to attend their training courses for the success of subsequent cochlear implant surgeries.
In his address, Prof. Ahmed Mehanna, a professor of cochlear implant, at the University of Alexandria, Egypt, also expressed his gratitude to the personnel in NECC and Med-el Africa group.
He said that there was the need for the implementation of a ‘hearing screening programme’ so as to recruit more cases.
“You have excellent audiologists, excellent speech pathologists, we hope everything will be good and we are looking forward to come again”, Mehanna said. (NAN)
SA/MMA
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Edited by Mouktar Adamu
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