Nepal’s first ‘Mobile Audiometry Van’ launched in Koshi Province

By Bishnu Prasad Pokharel,Damak, Dec 8: KIOCH Damak Children’s Hospital has launched Nepal’s first-ever Mobile Audiometry Van (MAV) to provide hearing testing and treatment for children in Koshi Province.

This mobile hearing test service has been initiated with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Karuna Foundation Nepal. The mobile audiometry van is soundproof, enabling children’s ears and hearing to be tested in any location.

According to Dr. Jayamani Shrestha from KIOCH Damak Children’s Hospital, the van is equipped with all the necessary tools for reliable hearing assessments.

Dr. Shrestha explained that the van will facilitate hearing screening programmes in schools and rural areas. “Professor Dr. Bhagwan Koirala, founder of the Kathmandu Institute of Child Health (KIOCH), is leading a campaign to identify conditions that lead to hearing impairment, particularly among underprivileged children, which Dr. Shrestha believes will be highly beneficial,” he added.

Using the van, initial ear tests have already been conducted at some schools as a model. He said, “In the first phase, school nurses and teachers will help pre-screen children. Audiologists from the hospital will then visit schools for further tests using the mobile audiometry van.”

For children requiring additional treatment or surgery, they will be referred to the hospital for further care. Free treatment has been arranged for underprivileged children, and the campaign is set to expand across the urban and hilly districts of Koshi Province.

Lila Guragai, former president of the Nepal Red Cross Society Damak sub-branch, praised the hospital for launching this service with the support of various donors. She expressed happiness in this pioneering effort and hoped many children would benefit.