Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah said the ministry has completed nearly 80 percent of the goals of a health survey that aims at early discovery of hearing disabilities in newborns. Sheikh Basel was speaking during the opening of a conference on the latest developments in throat and vocal cord surgeries, which ended yesterday. He said the survey, which was launched in 2013, aims at taking quick treatment and rehabilitation measures while reducing the rate of hearing disabilities in newborns.

The conference coincided with health ministry’s preparations to launch a Comprehensive National Program for the Prevention of Deafness and its celebration of the International Day for Hearing in March.

Sheikh Basel said participants in the conference will carry out several tests and operations at Zain, Farwaniya and Adan Hospitals, adding that involving world experts in such conferences contributes to easing pressure on the treatment abroad program and enhancing Kuwaiti doctors’ experience.

Sheikh Basel said the ministry is keen on opening ear, nose and throat (ENT) departments in all hospitals, in addition to developing the Sheikh Salem Al-Ali hearing and diction center and equip it with state-of-the-art systems. Chairman of the Conference Dr Humoud Al-Arouj said the conference, in which 12 consultants from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, US, Australia, Canada and Turkey participated, included 20 lectures, four workshops and two roundtable discussions.