I don’t have Medical Aid and my child can’t hear. Help!

First of all, it is important to realise that not all hearing loss is equal. Some cases of hearing loss are as simple as a case of wax build up, or fluid in the middle ear. It is therefore important that the patient is expertly assessed by an ENT surgeon, who will do a thorough examination, and request an audiogram.

Treatment options will then be discussed with you.

A lack of funds should not prevent ANYONE from accessing quality healthcare. Fortunately, help is at hand. Despite the negative publicity the public health sector receives on a regular basis, the ENT Department of the University of the Witwatersrand delivers outstanding service, through its four affiliated teaching hospitals: Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic, Charlotte Maxeke Johannnesburg Academic, Helen Joseph, and Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospitals.

The Cochlear Implant Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath is the ONLY fully State-funded unit in the country. However, stringent criteria apply, and parents/patients go through a thorough selection process. The service it provides is truly remarkable, given the lack of funding and publicity, compared to other programs. To date, 44 patients have been implanted, most of them from the poorest sectors of society, across ALL race groups!