The Permanent Secretary on Special Duties of the Niger State Ministry of Health and Hospital Services, Sidi Maku, has shown the deficit of Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeons in the country.
Maku points out that there are over 270 million people with hearing defects, and there are just 176 ENT surgeons in Nigeria. He also says that there are only three active audiologists in the ENT clinic in Niger State.
The above-mentioned ENT clinic is the only one in Northern Nigeria, Maku further reveals.
This scarcity creates the need for Nigerians to pay attention to ear care, taking measures to prevent it, as treating it is very difficult due to the shortage of specialists.
Maku, who is an expert in Audiology, warned parents to refrain from slapping thier children on the ear, as that is one cause of hearing defects in children and subsequently later in life.
Maku also said careless use of cotton bud, feathers or other sharp objects in cleaning the ears can lead to the defect. The defect can also be hereditary.
Maku, in an event created by the Women Advocate for Gender Solutions and Mentorship (WAGS-M), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), called on corporate bodies and well-meaning individuals for donations to treat persons with hearing disabilities.
Maku said “To purchase a hearing aid before was N300,000 but now it is about N30 million for a complete hearing aid for one person”.
The event was themed “Changing Mindsets, Let’s Make Ear and Hearing Care a Reality for All.”
