KARACHI, Sept 12: The ENT department of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre attending 600 to 700 patients daily at its OPD has procured the much needed impedance audiometer and pure tone audiometer.

Prof Nasir Jakhrani formally inaugurated the gadgets placed in a sound proof booth especially constructed at ENT department here on Monday.

The facility, an essential requirement for patients inflicted with hearing impairment, has been donated by local philanthropists. Keeping in view the fact that there exists no sanctioned post for audiologist, they have also hired services of a qualified and well-trained audiologist to run the facility.

The donors have also committed to meet the running expenditure of the facility, coming to around Rs30,000 per month. No less than 15 patients requiring the needed assistance visit the ENT department each day.

Doctors, however, reminded that the department is yet in constant search for donors to replace the extremely significant laser machine required to treat patients inflicted with cancers.

They said that a few more important gadgets were also required to further strengthen the much needed “Audiology Centre”.

ENT department head Prof Tariq Rafi said that hearing impairment had emerged as a significant problem, particularly in Karachi in the backdrop of exceedingly high level of noise pollution. The prevalence of deafness in country was registered to be 15 per cent, he added.

Dr Imtiaz Siddiqui, senior surgeon associated with the ENT department supplementing Dr Tariq Rafi, mentioned that till a few years back chronic discharging ear, congenital disability, post enteric meningitis or high grade fever were the commonest causes of hearing impairment in the local population, particularly children. Noise was an addition which was unknowingly affecting all of us in varied forms and degrees, he said, adding that audiometer was the key to gauge the level of damage caused and helping to initiate required medical intervention.

Excellent audiological services is a requisite for all ENT departments, the doctors stressed and expressed their gratitude to the Friends Hearing Aid Centre for arranging the facility against a cost of one million rupees.

Dr Tariq Rafi said that the department was also looking for donors to help the department in acquiring BERA Machine to detect diseases in newborn besides a laser machine to treat cancer patients.

The formal inaugural ceremony was also addressed by Chaudhry Mohammad Saleem, Fouzia Siddiqui, and Nighat Javaid, who announced donation of Rs25,000 for the department. —APP