PRCS Distributes 175 Hearing Aids as Part of a Campaign in the West Bank

(Al-Bireh – 16/9/2014): Under the supervision of Dr. Da’asan Ali, a Palestinian-American audiologist, PRCS concluded yesterday a campaign aimed at fitting hearing aids to hearing-impaired persons in the West Bank. 175 hearing-aids were distributed throughout the West Bank, while another 175 such devices shall be distributed in the Gaza Strip in the future.The hearing-aids were bought thanks to donations from Palestinians in the USA. Other relevant equipment, including hearing-aid calibrators, was also purchased to cover local needs in this field.

Speaking about difficulties faced in the delivery of these devices due to Israeli measures, Dr. Da’asan said: “In coordination with PRCS and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, we managed to reach out to a large number of children and elderly persons in the West Bank. We are currently waiting for the necessary coordination procedure with the Israelis in order to do the same in the Gaza Strip and to help the largest number of war victims who suffer from hearing loss there. The many difficulties faced since embarking on this journey are quickly forgotten when we see children smile after their hearing is restored. I hope to repeat this experience every year and I thank all those who helped make this campaign a success, both in New York and Palestine”.

Suheir Badarneh, Head of PRCS’ Rehabilitation Department, expressed her thanks and appreciation for this human gesture through which hearing-aids were also provided to children whose parents would not have otherwise afforded them. “Fitting hearing-aids at an early age has a great impact on children. It helps develop hearing, speech and linguistic competences and maximizes children’s residual hearing. PRCS provides services to more than 1000 hearing-impaired persons from all age groups and in all areas annually, especially from marginalized populations and disadvantaged families”, she said.

Haneen Al Sheikh, a PRCS’ audiologist, said: “This campaign helped treat tens of cases. Around 4% of Palestinians suffer from hearing impairments, which highlights the importance of early detection and intervention. It is primordial to provide hearing-aids to these patients, and PRCS is the only organization to fit these devices free-of-charge”.
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