Monks and staff from Kopan monastery with Lew from HearingNEPAL Program
Project Proposal:
During a personal study program at the monastery in November 2009, Lew Tuck (HearingNEPAL Program) was approached to see if he could help a senior monk who had been taken to Kathmandu for hearing assessment. It was deemed that nothing could be done to improve his hearing ability, based on their test results. Communication would be via shouting, gestures or not at all!
After reviewing the results, it was clear that further diagnostic tests were required, before the current assessment could be endorsed.
Sue Tuck from Whitsunday Hearing in Australia sent a diagnostic audiometer to the monastery.
Tests revealed that power hearing aids would be beneficial; these were subsequently fitted, with a successful outcome.
This highlighted the real need for a complete diagnostic battery of test results to be available, for the best professional advice to be offered.
Sangye Tenzin, in charge of the Medicine Buddha Health Clinic at Kopan, and his team, were enthusiastic about establishing a sustainable program providing assessment, medical follow up if required, and provision of robust rehabilitation devices.
Location:Kopan Monastery, Kapan Village, Kathmandu
Date Commenced: January 2010
Date Concluded: Ongoing
Partners: Kopan Monastery
Beneficiaries: Any person from in and around Kopan Moanastery, including monastic community (monks and nuns), lay staff, people from the surrounding villages
Trip 1 January 2010
Partners: Kopan Monastery
Staff: Sangye Tenzin, Tashi Sherpa, Maya (nurse), from Kopan Medicine Buddha Clinic
Volunteers: Sue & Lew Tuck (HearingNEPAL Program)
Objectives:
- To offer a trial hearing clinic at Kopan Monastery to evaluate the need for such services and provide immediate relief for people presenting with ear or hearing problems.
- To train staff in ear examination and hearing screening.
Strategies:
- Source a reliable power supply to support test and fitting equipment
- Train local health personnel in understanding the testing and rehabilitation process so that they may accurately interpret proceedings, i.e. literal translation of testing requirements, and a sufficient understanding of procedures and expected outcomes that recipient questions could be satisfactorily answered. Locals were incorporated in the test process where possible, and certainly the practical fitting of moulds and the description of hearing aid operation and maintenance. Fault finding, night storage, battery change procedures were also taught by medical staff to the recipients.
- Establish secure storage for equipment left in Nepal
- Establish a routine where clients are presented in an orderly manner for assessment.
- Establish secure and confidential client records
- Establish pathways for future funding to maintain the program – ? FPMT involvement
Resource Management:
- It was resolved that all aids would “belong” to the respective clinics, and if they were not being used effectively, they would be returned for alternate allocation.
- Where possible, recipients would pay a modest amount to receive the aid and batteries consumed
- Establish fitting protocol:
- Client must have a binaural loss, with 3FAHL of 40dB or worse in the better ear. This equates to a moderate loss (first loss category is mild), where quality of life would be affected, rather than fitting “an inconvenient loss”, i.e. mild loss
- One aid / alternate listening device to each person, with one dry aid kit for aid storage. For severe losses greater than 70 dB, 2 hearing aids are to be considered.
- Temporary “Doc’s Pro Plug mould fitted with BTE power hearing aid – size 13 battery
- Impression for custom mould to be fitted next visit after manufacture in Australia
Objectives:
Trial a hearing clinic at Kopan Monastery to evaluate the need for such services and provide immediate relief for people presenting with ear or hearing problems.
Outcomes:
- Hearing assessments completed: 42
- Medical follow up required : 5
- Hearing aids and dry aid kits fitted (Monaural): 15
- Hearing aids fitted (Binaural-exceptional circumstances): 1
- Training in the use of the video otoscope and screening audiometer to monks at Kopan Clinic
- The program was deemed a success by all involved and the need for such services was established very clearly. Planning for future trips was started.
Equipment was left at Kopan in secure storage, for future use in all Nepal programs
- Video otoscope and display unit and otoscope tips
- Otoscope (hand held
- Itera Diagnostic Audiometer, air, bone conduction, masking capability
- Surge protector, battery power back up, adaptors, multi meter, screwdriver set
- Impression taking : Earlights, Syringes, otoblocks, impression putty
- Mini Vac vacuum cleaning pump for aids and moulds
- Hearing aid batteries, Spare Hearing aids, mould tubing, ear hooks, temporary moulds, tubing blower, cleaning tools
- Medical wipes and sterilising materials
- Spare batteries, dry aid kits, Miracell ear oil, ear wax solvent
Total value $10,330
Trip 2 – October 2010
Partners: Kopan Monastery, NAHOH
Staff: Keshab Dangol, MachaBhai Maharjan, (NAHOH) Sangye Tenzin (Kopan Monastery)
Volunteers: Lew Tuck (HearingNEPAL Program)
Objectives:
- Meet with Kopan Monastery officials and establish basis for Kopan monks to work with NAHOH in primary ear care program and rehabilitation including hearing device fitting.
- Arrange for meeting between NAHOH (Machabhai and Keshab) and Kopan (Sangye and Ani Fran) to organise Kopan school ear camp for all students
- Review hearing aid fittings from last trip.
Outcomes:
- Kopan and NAHOH committed to working together on primary ear care and rehabilitation for mutual benefit. Primary ear camp for school children planned.
- All children at Kopan monastery received primary ear care and hearing assessments. 205
- Hearing Aids fitted – new: 2
- Hearing Aid Fitting reviews: 15