UAE, December 25, 2017 - As part of the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) initiatives of the Year of Giving, a cochlear implant was successfully performed for a 12-year-old Indian girl, who suffered from sudden hearing loss for a period of two years due to a severe viral infection that damaged the cochlear nerve. 

The cochlear implant operation was performed by the ENT team at Al-Baraha hospital, led by Dr. Ahmad Al Emadi, Senior Consultant and Head of the ENT Department. The operation included an implantation of a cochlea, one of the latest technologies in terms of its small size, clarity and sound quality. 

Dr. Al Emadi pointed out that total or partial hearing loss of the sensory nervous system in children who do not benefit from usual hearing aids, leads to significant difficulties later in their lives such as retardation and delay of mental and educational development, in addition to psychological and social problems suffered by the child and his/her family. He mentioned that a cochlear implant is the treatment of choice in such cases, leading to a significant positive change in the patient's life, but many people refrain from such procedures because they are very costly. 

Abdul Razzaq Amiri, Director of Al Baraha hospital, praised this initiative, which is part of many initiatives conducted by the ministry in the year of giving, and is aligned with the ministry’s vision to provide the best health services to the UAE citizens and residents. 

The ENT Department in al Baraha hospital is considered as a referral center at the level of the Ministry, led by Dr. Al Emadi who is one of the senior otolaryngologists in the Gulf and Middle East. The department has successfully performed highly specialized and complex operations, and had previously performed the first implantation of the smallest hearing aid in the skull bone behind the ear in the Middle East.