As Qatar was celebrating its National Day on December 18, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) organised a special event for some parents who have children with hearing loss.
In co-ordination with Advanced Bionics, a global biomedical manufacturer, and its local agent, Lusail Medical Co, the event taught participants how to best use and maintain hearing aids for optimised results.
“Such events reflect QRCS’ commitment to supporting vulnerable people and meeting their needs as much as possible, thus boosting their morale and promoting solidarity and compassion,” said QRCS executive director Ibrahim Abdullah al-Maliki.
He noted that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between QRCS and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) will sponsor a number of cases that need cochlear implants or hearing aids on a yearly basis.
“This year, we covered 250 cochlear implants and hearing aids, with a total budget of QR1.3mn,” al-Maliki said.
As charitable projects are funded mainly from the donations of benevolent people and institutions, he noted that everyone is invited to contribute to the treatment of poor patients under QRCS's year-round health assistance programmes.
Qatar is a leading provider of hearing impairment services, particularly among children.
In 2003, a national hearing loss dearly detection programme was launched to ensure that all newborn babies are examined for hearing disorders before they are released from hospital.
According to reports of the World Health Organisation, there are 466mn people with hearing loss globally, including 34mn children – almost 5% of the world's population.
QRCS pays special attention to the treatment of hearing loss, as it affects the patients' ability to communicate with others, and can result in delayed speech and language development, according to a statement.
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