Thubten Shedup Ling Monastery, Solu Khumbu
Project Proposal: Sangye Tenzin, manager of the Medicine Buddha Health Clinic at Kopan Monastery, and Geshe Thubten Yonten of Thubten Shedup Ling Monastery, Solu Khumbu requested that the HearingNEPAL Program run an ear camp to evaluate the ear health of the region’s peoples and the need for ongoing ear health care and rehabilitation.
Location: Thubten Shedup Ling Monastery, Solu Khumbu in the Sallerie region, Nepal
Date Commenced: April 2011
Date Concluded: Ongoing
Partners: NAHOH, Kopan Monastery, Thubten Shedup Ling Monastery
Beneficiaries: Any person of any age living or working in the Solu Khumbu region, with an ear health or communication issue.
Trip 1 – April 2011 6 days
Partners: NAHOH, Kopan Monastery, Thubten Shedup Ling Monastery
Staff: Keshab Dangol CMA (NAHOH); Sangye Tenzin ( Manager of the Medicine Buddha Health Clinic at Kopan monastery) and Tashi, BJ & TSundu (monks from Kopan Monastery)
Volunteers: Lew Tuck (HearingNEPAL Program), Jade Fredericksen (Audiologist from Australia), local monks from the monastery assisted with record-keeping duties.
Objectives: To assess and provide immediate benefit in the region’s ear health and hearing ability.
Strategies:
Screen all persons who present with a hearing problem
- Initial assessment by Keshab & Tashi, using Video otoscope & tuning fork. Inspect ears and note whether clear or impacted by wax, condition of ear drum, any fungus or discharge.
- Refer to Sangye for hearing screening and aid evaluation.
- Refer to Jade & Lew for full hearing test (confirmation of otoscopy, air conduction and bone conduction tests, and tympanometry) .if hearing loss in better ear greater than 50 dB, or ear discharge, or ear drum perforation
- Refer to Tashi for wax / obstruction removal, prior to going home or seeing Lew
- Refer to Tashi for ear drops or medication for infection
- Refer to Lew for fitting of hearing devices if better ear had 3FAHL > 50 dB, or special cases as assessed.
Outcomes:
Five hundred adults and children of all ages, Tibetan school children and some of the local deaf school children with teachers attended our first camp.
6 day clinic, 500 local beneficiaries.
- Hearing Aids fitted: 45 aids
- (tempory Docs Pro Moulds, with custom moulds to follow, generously donated by Bernafon and Sonic)
- Moderate to severe loss: 21 persons (one aid each)
- Power Aids: 11 persons (one aid each)
- High Power aids: 5 persons (we pack the Doc’s Pro mould with Blu Tack)
- ALD’s: 8 elderly clients
- Children fitted: 2 – one 9years old, one 11 years old ( 2 hearing aids each. Considered critical due to class conditions and the potential loss of one aid.)
- Primary Ear Care Examinations: 502
- Ear drum perforations: 7
- Audiological assessments: 58
- Waiting list for hearing aids next visit: 20 persons
Trip 2 – September 2011
Partners: NAHOH, Kopan Monastery, Thubten Shedup Ling Monastery
Staff: Keshab Dangol CMA (NAHOH), Sangye Tenzin ( Manager of the Medicine Buddha Health Clinic at Kopan monastery) and Dhargye (monk from Kopan Monastery), Chodar (Deputy Head Master of Kopan Monastery School)
Volunteers: Lew Tuck (HearingNEPAL Program)
Objectives:
- Continue the primary ear care program.
- Fit 45 custom moulds to replace the temporary Doc’s Pro Moulds fitted last trip.
- Fit 15 hearing aids and 3 Maxi ALDs to people waiting from last visit.
- Continue to train local staff in hearing aid fitting and maintenance.
Outcomes:
- Primary Ear Care assessments / treatments: 248
- Ear Drum Perforations: 35
- Hearing Assessments: 41
- Hearing Aids fitted: 36
- Impressions taken for custom moulds – to be fitted next trip: 14
- Local monks at the monastery health post were trained as per objectives.
Trip 3 – July 2012
Partners: NAHOH, Kopan Monastery, Thubten Shedup Ling Monastery
Staff: Keshab Dangol CMA (NAHOH), Sarita ( Hearing assistant, NAHOH), Rabjor (monk from Kopan Monastery).
Volunteers: Lew Tuck (HearingNEPAL Program)
Objectives:
- Continue the primary ear care program.
- Fit custom moulds to replace the temporary Doc’s Pro Moulds fitted last trip.
- Fit hearing aids and Maxi ALDs to people waiting from last visit.
- Continue to train local staff in hearing aid fitting and maintenance.
- Liaise with local Monastery regarding commencement of Education Program
- Planning for next visit/ second site in same area
- Review training of local monks in hearing aid maintenance and battery distribution.
Outcomes:
- Primary Ear Care assessments / treatments: 290
- TM Perforations: 22
- Hearing Assessments: 52
- Hearing Aids fitted: 18
- ALD’s fitted: 13
- Monks were assessed as proficient in areas of previous training.