Mulago Installs Shs200m Audiology Booth to Improve Early Hearing Diagnosis

What the report says

Mulago National Referral Hospital has installed a new audiology booth in its Ear, Nose and Throat department to improve the screening and treatment of hearing impairment. According to Nile Post, the equipment is intended to help specialists assess newborns and other patients more effectively, with an emphasis on identifying hearing loss at an early stage so treatment can begin sooner.

Hospital ENT specialist Dr Fred Bisso said the booth can detect very faint sounds and may help identify hearing problems in babies as young as one day old. Before this installation, some cases were reportedly only discovered months or years later, often after parents noticed delayed responses to sound or speech development. The hospital says the new system should expand access to specialised hearing tests and improve diagnosis of conditions that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Mulago Executive Director Dr Rosemary Byanyima urged Ugandans not to wait until hearing problems become severe before seeking care. She said the clinic sees more than 100 hearing-related patients on busy days, which she described as evidence that hearing loss is a significant health issue in Uganda. She also said the government invested more than Shs200 million in the equipment and that services will be offered at a subsidised cost.

A patient cited in the report said she came to the clinic after experiencing recurring noises in her ears and felt encouraged after testing. Another specialist, Dr Abubakar Buyondo, noted that hearing loss can affect people of any age, with children especially at risk and ageing also a factor. In general, hearing screening and early treatment are widely recognized as important for preventing long-term communication and developmental difficulties.