DEAFNESS and blindness are two of the most terrible afflictions which affect both man and animals. These ailments cut off its sufferers from the world and destroy the quality of life. Sufferers from these ailments require the sympathy, understanding and help of everyone.

It is difficult to decide whether deafness or blindness leads to greater suffering but most think that deafness is the worse of the two. Deafness cuts off communication with family, friends and community. It prevents much of the learning process, a great deal of which is based on sound. For example, a deaf person could not hear the news and the various commentaries on television and radio. And a suffer’s enjoyment of music or films is denied. And in the case of children who were born deaf, except timely treatment is given, they will grow up dumb as well.

More attention needs to be given by the National Health authorities and relevant NGO’s as to medically treating deafness with the hope of restoring some hearing and secondly, to make life more tolerable for the dumb and deaf.

There has very occasionally been, in history, a person who had been able to overcome the disability and contribute to the betterment of mankind. The most famous and well-known of such persons is the music composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven is one of the most important contributors to Western culture and over the centuries, his music has continued to entertain and inspire millions of people worldwide. Beethoven produced sounds which had never before been heard in the world.

Before we consider the treatments for deafness, we should remind ourselves of the causes of the ailment and how it could be avoided. Noise levels are measured in decibels. 80 decibels is a normal and comfortable noise level. When one is subjected to 120 decibels and over for any length of time, hearing becomes impaired. Thus, in those minibuses which play loud music, the conductors and drivers become hard of hearing and many passengers also so suffer. The Police need to enforce the Laws banning noise in the public transport.

The boom boxes which are played in the streets and at working-class dance halls are one of the main sources of impairment of hearing. Loud noises made by machines in a workplace also lead to deafness. Ear-guards should be worn in such factories, or if these are not available, cotton wool should be placed in the ears to break the sound. Minibus commuters would do well to carry a bit of cotton wool to place in their ears to blunt the noise which may assail them.

Babies and young children should be tested to ascertain that they were not born with any hearing problem. If deaf babies and young children are not given early treatment mostly with hearing aids, they would grow up to be both deaf and dumb. The age of five is the cut-off age.

The Georgetown Public Hospital, over the years, has been striving to keep abreast with medical advancements, processes and techniques, but owing to the scarcity of more specialist staff and lack of money to spend on equipment and facilities, it has generally fallen short of the ideal. This implies the need for a Speciality Hospital. Every modern country has a Speciality Hospital which provides the cutting -edge of medical advancements. Speciality Hospitals also provide the infrastructure for lucrative medical tourism and would provide help to those patients who may not have enough money to go abroad for treatment.

The Chief Physician of the Audiology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr. Ruth Quaico has been doing a fine job despite the many handicaps. Every year, for the last 20 years, the department has been conducting campaigns to educate the population about deafness and how to confront it.

This year, under the leadership of Dr. Quaico, the campaign is named “Saving Guyana from Deafness”. Effort has been made in the education of the public as to what is deafness and dumbness, the common causes of these ailments and the treatments available. The media and the school system have been helpful in making the campaign a success.

One particular aspect of the campaign is that concerning babies and young children. The GPHC conducts hearing tests on all children born at the institution and extends such help to children born at other institutions. The Starkey Hearing Foundation of the United States donated 700 hearing aids to Guyana over the last two years and has donated another 400 during the campaign week. Parents of babies and young children who are deaf or cannot speak should seek the help of the Audiology Department of the GPHC.