24 Aug 2018

1300 Tongans fitted with hearing aids

6:46 pm on 24 August 2018

This week around 1300 hearing impaired Tongans were fitted with hearing aids during clinics held by the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

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Photo: 123RF

Matangi Tonga reports a team of 21 hearing care coordinators set up screening, hearing-aid fitting and counseling during the two day clinics.

The foundation's Megan Baiocchi said on the first day they saw 710 people and 450 of those were fitted with hearing aids.

This continued into the final day she said, with adults and elderly the majority who required the hearing aids but some children were also fitted.

The foundation will provide free ongoing maintenance for the hearing aids.

Ms Baiocchi said the cost of the hearing aids fitted, if bought privately, would cost around $US1,500 each.