On the occasion of the visit of Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the President of the Republic of Estonia, to Poland, the World Hearing Center was honored to host the President’s wife, Evelin Ilves. The First Lady of the Republic of Estonia admired the World Hearing Center for its achievements, opportunities it opens for its patients and employees, and advanced IT technologies used on an everyday basis in operating theaters. She visited the unique telemedical studio, being the most important element of the first in the world National Network of Teleaudiology.

The First Lady was interested in the application of the Network in modern medicine. The Network was created for patients with cochlear implants to provide a well-organized, long-term, post-surgical care and above all, the optimum fit of cochlear implants. These procedures are very time consuming, tiring for the patient and costly. Thanks to ICT solutions, the Network allows for the costs decrease and performance of cheap and effective rehabilitation of hearing and speech (so-called telerehabilitation) and the distant control of patients with cochlear implants (so-called telefitting).

Evelin Ilves visited also the largest in the world Head and Neck Clinical Anatomy and Pathomorphology Laboratory. It comprises 21 lab stations designed for otolaryngological surgeries on models and anatomic preparation of the ear, temporal bone and larynx and also 10 lab stations designated for endoscopic sinus surgeries on anatomic models.

The most touching part of the visit was the performance of young patients of the Centre. They proudly presented the results of months-long rehabilitation after cochlear implantation.

At the end of the visit, Evelin Ilves signed the visitors’ book. “Thank you very much for your amazing job! You have changed a lot of little lives. Thank You for Your passion! Evelyn Ilves, First Lady of Estonia”, she wrote.