Kenya Society for Deaf Children launches 'DECHI' hearing clinic

 The specialized facility, named the 'DECHI' Hearing Centre, aims to make affordable ENT and audiology services accessible to Kenyans, encompassing consultations, treatment, and the provision of hearing aids for the hearing impaired.

Speaking during the inauguration on behalf of Mr. Harry Kimtai, the Principal Secretary of the State Department for Medical Services, Dr. Manasseh- Director, of Clinical Services-State Department for Medical Services commended KSDC for this initiative, describing it as a significant achievement aligned with the ministry's strategic plans.

 He expressed the ministry's endorsement, stating that it corresponds with the National Strategic Plan for Ear and Hearing Care (EHC) 2023-2028, focused on enhancing access to EHC services, fortifying technology delivery, and improving habilitation and rehabilitation.

The DECHI hearing clinic, open to all, will collaborate with national and county hospitals to facilitate early assessment, diagnosis, and management of hearing loss. It will also serve as an information hub to raise awareness about preventable and avoidable deafness.

In Kenya, statistics reveal that hearing impairment ranks as the fourth leading cause of disability, often identified belatedly. 

Speaking at the launch, the Kenya Society for Deaf Children Chairman Mr. Francis Ng’ang’a expressed his delight about the event to launch the clinic and the presence of key partners to support the same.

Mr. Ng’anga called on all partners present to pledge their support to champion for the rights of deaf children through supporting their projects towards reaching to the deaf children across the country and assisting them. 

“In Kenya, there are over 300,000 children of school-going age and only 20,000 of these are in school. Further, and based on research most hearing loss is acquired meaning that it is not hereditary which further means that is preventable through early mitigation.  The key challenge facing this space is under-support and under-funding and not enough conversations about the deaf taking place in national conversations”, said Mr. Ng’ang’a. 

“The DECHI hearing clinic offers us internal capacity to handle hearing cases for children and adults for both clinic and audiology for outpatient services, offering referral to major hospitals for any condition requiring in-patient services. As KSDC we hope to scale this clinic to all counties to ensure affordable access to all through deployment of mobile clinics and provision of hearing aids”, he added. 

During the launch, Rhoda Kabiti, the CEO of Kenya Society for Deaf Children (KSDC), reiterated the role and mandate of the society which is to advocate for rights and interests of deaf children. Ms. Kabiti mentioned that the key focus areas are health, education and social welfare and one of the channels to reach them is through partnership with schools. 

Citing a World Health Organization report, it is highlighted that over 1.5 billion people worldwide, constituting 20% of the global population, experience varying degrees of hearing loss. 

Also present at the launch were Imenti North MP Dawood Rahim, nominated MP Dorothy Muthoni and Nairobi Women representative Esther Passaris, as well as key corporate partners and schools for the deaf who already work with the Kenya Society for Deaf Children. 

The newly launched clinic distinguishes itself by employing staff members with hearing impairment, ensuring inclusivity with adept sign language communication.