The Directorate General of Primary Health Care (DGPHC) represented by the Department of non -communicable diseases, Disabled Persons Program section held a workshop on the Updated Guideline Manual for Ear Health- 3^rd edition. The workshop targeted medical and allied medical cadres working at PHC and school health settings to raise their scientific and practical knowledge in the field of ear health care according to the manual.   

Director General of PHC Dr. Saeed Al Lamki attended the event with the presence of Dr. Mazin Al Khabori, Director General of Private Health Establishments. 

The workshop was commenced by the DGPHC speech confirming that the Sultanate has attached importance to ear health care on the level of PHC. It strived in developing the skills of cadres and providing up-to-date medical devices for early detection. Moreover, the Ministry implemented ear screening for newborns and following up ear care of school students to reduce diseases leading to hearing loss in childhood.

Dr. Saeed Al Lamki also explained that more than half of hearing impairment cases can be avoided by providing primary health care and early detection, indicating that infection, noise pollution, congenital and age-related causes are the main causes of deafness. He added that there is a significant increase in the number of people exposed to loud sounds using personal sound systems as well as in places of entertainment, which puts them at high risk of hearing loss, unless detected early.

Dr. Saeed Al-Lamki confirmed that the annual health report for 2019 indicates that the 3.2% of people have been transferred from primary health care to higher levels, which means that 96.8% were managed at the primary health care level. The coverage rate of school student screening reached 99.9%, while the hearing impairment examination for newborns reached 99%. Thus, the figures reflect the resilience of Sultanate primary health care in ear health.

Specialists from Al Nahdha hospital gave a number of lectures in the workshop.