New Atuabo (W/R), Mar. 5, GNA- Hundreds of basic primary pupils and students from New Atuabo Area in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality have benefited from a free ear screening exercise aimed at identifying and addressing ear-related issues.
New Atuabo Community Basic School, New Atuabo John Taylor Municipal Assembly Junior High School, and Saint Mary’s Anglican Basic School were the selected beneficiary institutions.
The initiative, organized by the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) in partnership with the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Nurses Group in Tarkwa, was to mark World Hearing Day, which falls on March 3 every year.
The theme for this year is “Changing mindsets: empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all.”
Earlier, the health team who worked in three groups educated the students about the various ear conditions and also guided how to protect their ears from injuries and infections.
Following the educational session, the team conducted the ear screening exercise simultaneously across the three schools.
Dr Magdalene Bakari, Lead Specialist for Health Services for Gold Fields Ghana, said during the screening at Saint Mary’s Anglican Basic School, they picked up a few cases of young children with foreign objects lodged in their ears.
Additionally, they also identified some cases of impacted earwax, which had blocked the ear canal. For those students, they issued referrals to be given to their parents for further care.
“Our main concern is finding chronic conditions in children that have gone unattended to for too long, suggesting that parents may be trying to manage them without proper medical help,” Dr Bakari indicated
She, therefore, urged parents that, if they notice unusual ear discharge or signs of ear pain in their child, they should consult a healthcare professional instead of self-medicating, adding, “Please the cotton buds, feathers, pen caps and others are not designed for the ear, let us avoid using them”.
Dr Ama Boatemaa Prah, an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist from the Kole-Teaching Hospital, stated that, “Most children we have seen at John Taylor M/A JHS have healthy ears. However, few have impacted earwax that requires attention.”
“We found foreign objects, such as cotton, crayons, and other items, in the ear of younger children, often inserted months earlier when they were smaller. We have successfully removed these objects to ensure their ears’ health. She indicated
Dr Prah lauded the GFGF for the programme and appealed to them to support all the referred children with ear health concerns to ensure timely treatment and optimal care.
Madam Judith Adoma Forkuoh, Principal Nursing Officer at Tarkwa Municipal Hospital (ENT) Department, revealed that “The ENT department at the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, have launched an initiative for early detection and intervention.
She said, “all newborns delivered at our facility are invited for a free ear screening within the first week of life. This enables us to identify any abnormalities and provide timely treatment.”
Madam Kate Nkrumah, the head teacher at Saint Mary’s Anglican Basis School, thanked the team for screening their pupils and students, stressing that many of them have existing ear health issues.
“We inform parents of their child’s ear health challenges, but many do not follow up with medical care. I believe referrals for such pupils and students will encourage parents to seek immediate medical help for their children’s ear health issues,” She added.
Miss Priscilla Koffie, Miss Christiana Obeng, and Master Edward Baah, on behalf of students from all three schools, extended their heartfelt gratitude to the organizers.
By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA.
