By Nii Martey M. Botchway, GNA
Accra, Oct. 29, GNA – Major Emmanuel Deladem Nkornoo, an audiologist at the 37 Military Hospital, has called for tax waivers on imported hearing aids and the inclusion of audiology and speech and language therapy services in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to improve access to hearing healthcare.
He said the high cost of hearing aids made it difficult for many people with hearing loss to obtain the devices and access appropriate rehabilitation services.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Major Nkornoo, the immediate past President of the Speech Therapists and Audiologists Association of Ghana (STAAG), said average-quality hearing aids in Ghana cost between GH¢10,000 and GH¢25,000.
He explained that the devices were largely imported from Western countries and priced in foreign currencies, making them expensive when converted into Ghana cedis.
“These devices are largely imported, and the average Ghanaian cannot afford them at the prevailing exchange rates,” he said.
Emphasising the need to make hearing aids and rehabilitation services more affordable, particularly for children, Major Nkornoo said untreated hearing loss could affect their educational performance, psychological well-being and social development.
He appealed to the government to consider waiving taxes on imported hearing aids to make them more affordable and accessible to people who needed them.
He also called for audiology and speech and language therapy services, including hearing aids, to be covered by the NHIS to enable more people to access the services and improve their quality of life.
Major Nkornoo further appealed to corporate organisations and private investors to support the establishment of audiology and speech and language therapy facilities across the country.
Such partnerships, he said, would help expand access to services while creating employment opportunities for qualified professionals.
GNA
Nii Martey M. Botchway
[email protected]
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong