In a significant milestone for paediatric audiology in Ghana, the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has successfully performed cochlear implant surgery on five individuals, restoring the gift of hearing to patients ranging from seven months to 20 years old.
The complex procedure, which is still rare in the country, involves surgically placing an electronic device inside the ear to provide a sense of sound for those with severe-to-profound hearing loss. When paired with an external sound processor, the implant allows patients who were previously unable to hear to perceive sound.
The initiative was made possible through the full sponsorship of Qatar Charity Ghana. The organisation covered the cost of the surgical procedures and the medical devices, which would have otherwise cost approximately $22,000 per patient. They also facilitated the visit of the lead surgeon, Professor Abdulkareem K. Al-Balasi, a renowned Senior ENT and Cochlear Implant Consultant from the Faculty of Medicine at Dhamar University in Yemen.
Professor Al-Balasi led a multidisciplinary team from Korle Bu’s ENT department, which included otologists, audiologists, speech and language therapists, ENT and theatre nurses, and an anaesthetic team.
Speaking to journalists following a successful surgery last Tuesday, the Chief Audiologist at the hospital’s Hearing Assessment Centre, Jemima Fynn, highlighted the severe impact of hearing loss on child development.
“Hearing loss in children is more debilitating because it does not allow them to develop optimally, acquire language, or develop psychologically, socially, and economically to be viable in society,” Ms Fynn explained.
She noted that hearing loss in children can result from childbirth complications, trauma, infections, or neonatal jaundice. While early intervention is critical, she lamented that late diagnosis remains a significant challenge in Ghana.
“Our issue is that we are identifying our children very late. Most of the time, by the time they come, they are about three or four years old, so they have already lost a lot of time and the impact is always very severe,” she stated.
Ms Fynn explained that cochlear implantation began in Ghana in 2021, and the programme has since served about 22 patients. She expressed gratitude to Qatar Charity for sponsoring the five latest patients, who are all from Tamale, as the high cost of the imported devices often places the procedure out of reach for many families.
The Health Project Coordinator of Qatar Charity, Dr Abubakar Inusah Hudu, said the organisation’s commitment to sponsoring health projects, including heart and eye screenings, is rooted in the Islamic principle of helping the less privileged.
Professor Al-Balasi noted that the full benefits of the surgery will be realised in about a month, when the audiologist activates the external device. He stressed that this activation must be followed by a crucial period of rehabilitation, including dedicated therapy sessions with speech and language specialists to ensure the patients gain maximum benefit from their new implants.
