German doctors arrive in Kyrgyzstan to operate children with congenital hearing loss

AKIPRESS.COM - The number of children with congenital deafness and hearing impairments are growing yearly, National Maternal and Child Health Care Center Director Kamchibek Uzakbaev told a press conference in AKIpress.
The cochlear implantation was introduced in the world to treat hearing problems, he said. "This is the procedure when cochlear implant is surgically implanted in the child's ear and the child then can hear," he said.
There are around 300 children with hearing problems at the National Maternal and Child Health Care Center, 64 of them are children under 5 years, he said. "This is a group of children who need cochlear implant. Unfortunately, not all parents could afford it. It costs from 12,000 to 30,000 Euros," Uzakbaev said.
20 children were operated free of charge last year due to Germany's Lenhardt Foundation, he said.
This year the Lenhardt Foundation and the National Maternal and Child Health Care Center decided to advance the project further. "We opened Hearing Academy in Bishkek. The program of medical assistance for deaf and dumb children was developed. We handed over the program to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. It will be gard to provide support to needy children without support of the government," Uzakbaev stated.
The Lenhardt Foundation brought 10 devices and KMG Klinikum Güstrow Professor Tino Just performed 8 surgeries.
"They will train our doctors to adjust these devices in future. A rehabilitation room was opened as well. In addition to the cochlear implants, the Lerhnhardt Foundation handed over the removal device, surgic tools. The assistance provided by the Foundation is estimated at around 40 million soms," Uzakbaev siad.
The cochlear implantation program includes diagnostics, screening and then operation. ENT Department needs expensive technical equipment. Surgery makes just 10% of the problem. The most part is rehabilitation, which involves many people, parents among them, Prof. Dr. Tino Just said.
Kyrgyz specialists will be invited to Germany in future to train them in cochlear implantation. They will include not only surgeons, but also audiologists, rehabilitation specialists, he added.
The Foundation provided support to around 60 children in Kyrgyzstan for 4 years, Head of Foundation Monika Lehnhardt-Goriany said.
"From 140 to 160 children are born with hearing loss every year. We understand that 10-20 children who recovered hearing is not enough, but we provide support as we can," she said.
The Foundation will try to continue its support on a long-term basis in future, she said. "But we need support of the government. We won't be able to provide assistance without support of the long-term program by the government," Monika Lehnhardt-Goriany added.