The Bhutanese Leading the way.
With the commencement of the New Year, some 30-40 patients in Gelephu will finally receive treatment against hearing impairments which otherwise was turning into loss of hearing.
A medical team, consisting of technicians and a specialist, from the National Referral Hospital is conducting a free Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) checkup camp in Gelephu for patients in and around the Dzongkhag.
The free ENT camp will screen patients and identify the ones who need immediate surgeries based on hearing tests.
So far, 110 patients have turned up for the screening tests and 11 patients with critical hearing impairments have been identified for surgery.
An Audiologist with the Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) Pelden Wangchuk said the ENT camp is being conducted in Gelephu because the region doesn’t have a full time surgeon or an Audiologist.
He said the camp is mainly focused on providing check up and surgery to the people of the region who were otherwise not able to avail the facility.
“Patients from the south with these kinds of problems were getting neglected, so we thought of giving them some exposure to the kinds of surgeries available,” he said.
The eye camp expects a minimum of 30 patients and a maximum of 40 patients to undergo the surgery.
The screening tests started on December 24 and will continue till January 19. The week-long surgery starts from 27 January but depending on the number of cases received the days could be extended.
The medical camp is being conducted by a Bhutanese medical team.
This is the fifth ENT camp conducted in the country by the health ministry.
Last year the camp was conducted in Bumthang with support from a medical team from Thailand.
