On 27 June, 2012, the delegation of government and healthcare system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia visited the World Hearing Center in Kajetany.
The visit took place due to the Saudi Arabia’s government plan to create the King Abdullah Hearing Center in Riyadh. In order to established a cooperation, the delegation composed of Saudi surgeons, phoniatricians and audiologists has visited the World Hearing Center and two other audiology centers in the world.
The delegation was led by Prof. Abdulrahman Abdullah Hagr, otosurgeon and the chairman of the government’s advisory group for audiology and hearing treatment, who has established a program of hearing implants after performing the first cochlear implantation in Saudi Arabia. In his practice, Prof. Hagr is using Prof. Henryk Skarżyński’s novel surgical method of Round Window Approach.
The team of the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing presented some domains of the Institute’s activity, including the unique fields of clinical and scientific activity in rehabilitation and treatment of diseases of ears, nose, throat, respiratory paths and balance.
The members of the delegation visited Audiology and Phoniatrics Clinic, Implants and Auditory Perception Department, Center of Education and Bioimaging Research Center.
The topic that gained the guests’ attention was the hearing screening program. There is no such activity in Saudi Arabia, in non age group of children. The guests were presented the methodology and the results of national hearing screening program in school-age children in Poland, and they could test the medical device for hearing and vision screening.
The Institute’s employees presented also a modern application of internet in telemedicine: telediagnostics, teletherapy and telerehabilitation, used in the Institute’s practice within first in the world national network of teleaudiology.
The guests expressed their strong admiration for the achievements of the Institute. They were impressed with the organization and the equipment of the World Hearing Center. In their opinion, the cooperation could bring many benefits.