Video assistance for people with disabilities

The ‘deaf and hard-of-hearing’ people in Bahrain need more support in the form of a dedicated video communication services at government agencies, a Parliamentarian has said.

Such services, MP Dr Masoumah Abdul Rahim said, are necessary to help them overcome the difficulties that may arise while interacting with government agencies in Bahrain. “Although the government has done a lot for the welfare of the special needs community, there is still more to be done,” said Dr Masoumah.

She pointed out that they are entitled to healthcare, education, sports, housing etc in the Kingdom. “So they must also be given support to interact with various Ministries.”

Tribune reported earlier that the authorities here are implementing a new nationwide initiative to bring down the number of cases of hearing loss and deafness by ensuring screening for newborns at private hospitals. “Early detection of hearing-related issues would help doctors give infants appropriate treatment,” Consultant ENT surgeon, the head of cochlear implant team and head of ENT department at SMC, Abdulkarim Alsaei said.

According to him, the initiative is being implemented by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the National Health Regulatory Authority.