Ear implants for six children

From: Gulf Daily News - Manama,Bahrain - Jun 5, 2005

SIX deaf children successfully underwent cochlear implant surgery at the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) over the weekend, it was revealed yesterday. The three-hour operations were performed by SMC Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultants Dr Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Dr Ahmed Jamal, according to a Health Ministry statement.

The consultants headed an all-Bahraini medical team that performed the operations.

A cochlear implant is an electronic device that provides hearing sensation to individuals with severe to profound hearing loss, who do not benefit from hearing aids.

It is surgically implanted in the inner ear and activated by a device worn outside the ear.

The device carries electronic impulses to the nerve - allowing individuals who have profound hearing impairment to hear sounds.

The sound at first will be muffled, but with training and rehabilitation it does improve.

Eventually, with regular speech therapy sessions, the children may learn to speak.

Similar operations were carried out at the hospital on six other children in April.

The Health Ministry provided BD152,000 to the SMC earlier this year to restart the cochlear programme, which was put on hold for two years due to budget restrictions.

Each cochlear implant costs BD12,000.

Copyright © 2004, Gulf Daily News