Starkey Hearing Foundation honoured

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, June 26, 2018

The Ministry of Public Health on June 22, honoured the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which recently outfitted and distributed free hearing aids to over 500 hearing impaired Guyanese.

The initiative is the second phase of the foundation’s outreach plans in Guyana; the first being a screening exercise held in March of this year. That outreach saw the 500 persons being screened by the Audiology Department of the Guyana Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and shortlisted by the Starkey Foundation for a free pair of custom-fitted hearing aids.

Starkey Foundation Volunteers.

[In photo, from left] International Desk Coordinator of the Ministry of Public Health, Denroy Tudor, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, CEO and Founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation, William F. Austin, and Head of the Audiology Department, GPHC, Dr. Ruth Quaicoe.

In attendance at a cocktail event held in honour of the foundation’s sterling efforts to make lives better, was the Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, junior Minister Dr. Karen Cummings, along with the Head of the Audiology Department of GPHC, Dr. Ruth Quaicoe, the CEO and founder of the Starkey Foundation, William Austin and members of his team as well as local, regional and international volunteers from the foundation.

“The Ministry of Public Health is very appreciative of the fact that you are with us for this third fitting mission in Guyana to provide the gift of hearing for those most in need of receiving it,” Minister Cummings said.

Plaques were awarded to the Ministry of Health, the Lions Club and the Audiology Department with ‘Excellence in Partnership’ in recognition of their efforts and roles played in ensuring the citizens of Guyana lead full, healthy lives.

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence told the members of the foundation that she is grateful for their endless support.

“We are honoured to have all of you here with us. Thank you for your philanthropic gesture to the world, not just Guyana, you have given and continued to give. We want to express thanks on behalf of those recipients for bringing sound to their silent world, and for enabling to experience the thrill of connecting to the world around them,” Minister Lawrence said.

On June 21, the foundation visited Onverwagt, on the West Coast of Berbice, where they treated in excess of 120 patients and on June 22, the National Exhibition Centre, Georgetown where over 400 patients were treated. So far, the foundation has provided almost 1,000 hearing impaired Guyanese and over 1 Million people worldwide with the gift of hearing.

The foundation is planning a follow-up exercise in the near future which will include awareness and care and further counselling and reintegration of patients into a normal livelihood.

By: Nateshia Isaacs.

Images: Kennyann Bacchus.