The health campaign taking place at the Gyneco-Obstetric Hospital ends on October 4? 2013.

Patients, mostly children, with hearing problems in Yaounde and beyond are currently benefiting from a free ear surgery at the Yaounde Gyneco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital.

The campaign which started last Friday September 20 with consultation is unfolding with surgical sessions at the hospital. Organised by the Gyneco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital in collaboration with a German Hospital (Dusseldorf Evangelist Hospital), a German Foundation working in partnership with a Cameroonian NGO: Cercle d'appui de Reflexion et D'entraide (CAPPRE) , the ear test and hearing health campaign ends on October 4.

At the entrance of the hospital, a banner reads: "Test Your Hearing at the Ear Camp Cameroon". This message has attracted many people with hearing problems who are already being taken care of at the Ear Camp located at the Ear, Nose and Throat (ORL) Unit of the Yaounde Gyneco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital. A medical specialist at the unit, Dr Isabelle Kewe, said since the campaign started over 65 people have been consulted with 60 booked for surgical interventions.

She explained that the campaign targets mostly children with chronic otits media, which is the inflammation of the middle ear due to frequent nose problem. Dr Isabelle Kewe says the campaign targets mostly children between 0 and 20 years. But because the campaign is taking place for the first time, adults are exceptionally given an opportunity to have their hearing problem repaired.

The German team which consists of eight people (three ORL surgeons, one anaesthetic doctor, two nurses, one anaesthetic nurse and one student doctor) came along with all the necessary materials needed for the surgical session such as the microscope for consultation and surgery and a Tympano Plastie equipment.

While explaining that the German team takes care of the patients' bills and medications before and after the surgery, Dr Kewe added that the patient is required to come along with only FCFA 50,000 for hospitalisation. The General Manager of the Yaounde Gyneco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital, Professor Fru Angwafor III noted that under normal circumstances, the hospital could not carry out all surgical interventions of the ear because it does not have all the equipment needed for such a surgery which could have cost patients some FCFA 300,000 to 600,000 for an ear.

After the operation, the German team will leave some of their medical equipment with the hospital which will enable them continue treating people suffering from ear discharge, painful ears, perforated ear drums, repeated middle ear infection and hearing problems.