The cooperation agreement between Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Bhutan supports the establishment of a cochlear implant programme at the hospital in Bhutan. It aims to improve ENT care for the hearing impaired in Thimphu, Bhutan.
Background:
Every year, 17 of the approximately 17,000 babies born in Bhutan are born with hearing loss. However, if diagnosed early on, these children can learn how to hear and speak and can attend school. As yet no public funding is available for implants and most families are unable to cover the costs; the project therefore plans to help develop a pilot project in this area.
Activities:
-\tProvision of surgical equipment
-\tTwo-week residency for two Bhutanese ENT surgeons at Charité Berlin
-\tEight-week course on diagnostics as well as intraoperative and postoperative care
-\tParticipation in a network meeting
-\tOngoing (remote) patient evaluation, adjustment and follow-up care
Impact:
The implementation of the pilot programme aims to boost the political will to support and publicly finance a national cochlear implant programme. In addition, the partnership intends to strengthen knowledge exchange between ENT surgeons, speech therapists and affected families and increase public awareness.