In September our Asia Pacific Regional team also visited Vietnam, Ho Chi Mihn City. In May 2016 we fitted approximately 300 children from various parts of Ho Chi Mihn with hearing aids. September was the follow up month for next phase of the mission.
The team followed up on nine schools in Ho Chi Mihn City, the AfterCare was an enormous success. Every single child we assessed during AfterCare was wearing their hearing aids. Only one little girl had lost her right hearing aid. The team assisted her and replaced the aid on the spot.
We worked with the teachers, who were trained and supported by the local Vietnamese Starkey Foundation team. The local Vietnamese team are doing an excellent job in ensuring that all the students wear their hearing aids daily and that they are looked after. All patients have been shown how to use their hearing aids and many were comfortable speaking at school.
The Starkey Hearing Foundation team refreshed the principal’s and teacher’s memory on correct hearing aid use, left batteries and dry aid kits for the students and made a follow up date to revisit all schools before the end of the year.
Vietnam, will once again be visited in 2017 for another Phase 2 mission. We will be visiting 3 cities this time. Ho Chi Mihn City (350 patients), Hanoi (350 patients) and Da Nang province (600 patients).
Again, both the regional and international team will be involved with this mission.
Phase 3 or AfterCare is the sustainability portion of our Community Based Model and is the phase we develop the most. It is very reassuring to see how well Phase 3 is received in all programs and to see the value of patient follow up.
I am very proud to be developing the Asia Pacific region and am fortunate to have such a strong committed team- who all share my passion and dedication to the Foundation and the cause we believe in.
If you would like to help support the missions the Starkey Hearing Foundation undertakes, you can do so by donating your old hearing aids to your local Audiology Clinic. Find out who is closest to you here. We accept hearing aids regardless of age, make or model. These hearing aids will be salvaged for parts to build new hearing aids to be used on future missions.
You can also donate directly to the Foundation here.