Charity to fit 100 Guyanese with custom hearing aids next week

100 Guyanese children and adults will receive free custom hearing aids from the 13th -15th June, 2016, from the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

The nonprofit organization that gives the gift of hearing to people in need in the U.S. and around the world, will also “provide follow-up services and support to patients to use and properly care for their hearing aids, as well as provide additional batteries and replacement of hearing aids and ear molds as needed” a statement from the Ministry of Public Health said.

The Foundation indicated their desire to work in Guyana after visiting the country in February, 2016 when they met with officials to consider possible collaborations.

The Foundation will also train and educate local and foreign audiology technicians to mold and fit digital hearing aids to the hearing impaired, and properly record data for analysis.

A training team consisting of 15 persons along with a five-member support team will during this first mission be training 17 Guyanese Audiology Staff from regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10.

Foreign audiology staff from the USA, Mexico, El Salvador, Jamaica, St. Kitts/Nevis, US & UK Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Haiti and Dominican Republic will also be trained.

Starkey Hearing Foundation, a public charity founded by William F. Austin, partners with governmental organizations, schools and NGOs to promote hearing health awareness, identify patients in need of its services and aid in sustaining proper use of hearing devices.

They recruit, train and inspire local volunteers in order to ensure the long-term success of the programme to empower local residents to create ownership over local hearing health services.

Disabling hearing loss affects more than 360 million people, including 32 million children, yet many do not have access to the hearing devices that improve lives and promote understanding.