CBM’s Global Ear, Hearing Advisor Visits CBC Health Services
By Lohshie Eugene Velon
CBM’s Global Advisor for Ear and Hearing Care has paid a 10-day working visit to the CBC Health Services. Dr. Diego Hernandez Santana visited the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) facilities of the organization to carry out a technical assessment, advice, and orient prospects of Ear and Hearing Care (EHC) services in facilities of the CBC Health Services.
On Wednesday, September 12, 2018, Awa Jacques Chirac, Program Manager of the Socio-Economic Empowerment for Persons with Disability (SEEPD) program led the team to the Banso Baptist Hospital (BBH) for the first technical assessment and working session in the ENT department of the hospital. After a curtesy visit to the administration of the hospital, Dr. Diego guided by Dr. Acha Evaristus (CBC Health Services’ ENT Surgeon) paid a working visit to the ENT clinic.
Assessing the facility with keen attention on quality of service delivery and equipment in place, Dr. Diego acknowledged the work done by the two clinical staff. The team indicated the need for equipment and human resource improvement to increase quality of service delivery.
It should be noted the ENT clinic of BBH is operating on a full capacity with two clinical staff who carry out consultations at the clinic and during outreach, and offer primary treatment for ENT conditions. Meanwhile on regular visits, Dr. Acha Evaristus intervenes on cases requiring surgery.
The second stopover was at Mbingo Baptist Hospital (MBH), which hosts one of the most functional ENT clinics in Cameroon. Here, Dr. Diego expressed profound satisfaction at the level of work done and the quality of the service delivery irrespective of the human and material resource deficiency.
Still guided by Dr. Acha Evaristus, Head of the ENT Clinic in MBH, the team visited the audiology unit of the hospital that is specialized in handling the setting up and prescription of hearing aids. The team then moved to the ear mould laboratory where a practical session demonstrating the procedure of ear mould production took place.
After visiting the surgery room to evaluate surgery equipment, Dr. Diego presented a talk to six clinical staff, a sign language interpreter and the other members of the visiting team on the role of clinical staff in public health. He emphasized that staff should never give up on a patient and should always intervene promptly. While commending staff, he expressed the determination of CBM to uphold the partnership in reaching more people with quality services.
To give a rundown of the work the CBC Health Services is doing in improving the lives of persons with disability and their involvement in inclusive education, Dr. Diego made a stopover at the CBC Inclusive School and Sign Language Centre, Mbingo, which hosts over one hundred children with hearing impairment. The interesting aspect of this institution is its inclusive setup as the school now offers an opportunity for learners with or without hearing impairment to study in the same classroom.
Rounding up on Friday, September 14, 2018, a general working session took place with participants drawn from the SEEPD program, medical/clinical staff, Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) workers and representatives from the Inclusive School and Sign Language Center-(ISSLC), Mbingo. This working session came on the background of projections to engage a comprehensive Ear and Hearing Care (EHC) project in the organisation.
Advising participants in this light, Dr. Diego indicated that CBM supports EHC services in the areas of awareness activities about EHC, teaching and capacity building (Training of Trainers), primary, secondary and tertiary hearing care services as well as survey, screening, and early identification programs amongst others.
It should be noted that the ENT service of the CBC Health Services is functional, thanks to support from the Australian Aid.