With pics by L. Manimaran
IPOH: Former teacher Mohammad Baki Ramly had to opt for early retirement when he suffered hearing problems when he was in his 50s more than 13 years ago.
Realising the importance of communication between students and teachers in the classroom, the former Bahasa Malaysia teacher knew he had to leave teaching because of his condition.
"At the time, I could not hear properly. How am I going to teach when I lost one of the greatest gifts given by Allah. I isolated myself from my friends and I had no choice but to opt for early retirement at the age of 56.
"When I was slowly losing my hearing, I had to use a hearing aid but the quality was not as good as a cochlear implant," he said.
"I was then referred to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital where my doctor, Dr D. Philip Rajan suggested that I undergo cochlear implant surgery in 2010.
"Thirteen years have passed, and praise be to Allah, I managed to get my hearing back," he told reporters after attending the national-level World Hearing Day at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here, today.
The event was launched by Health Ministry Medical Development Division director Dr Mohd Azman Yacob.
Baki was the first patient in the state to receive a cochlear implant.
To date, 70 people have undergone the same surgery in Perak.
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing.
The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin.
Another cochlear implant patient Nelidia Isha Lok Mohd Syafiq Lok, 14, suffered from a hearing problem when she was 2, and underwent the surgery a year later.
Nelidia's mother, Nor Azilawati Hamzah, 40, said at the time, she noticed that her daughter could not speak, or even produce a short sentence, and immediately took her to the HRPB.
"The doctor suggested having a cochlear implant and Alhamdulillah since then, my daughter can speak like kids her age," she said, adding that Nelidia is currently studying at SMK Pengkalan, Lahat here.
Dr Azman said as of last year, 576 patients had benefited from cochlear implants, with the youngest patient being 7 months old.
"Early detection of hearing impairment is important to avoid adverse effects. This must be done for those who are prone and exposed to loud noises, including newborns.
"A newborn hearing screening is an important tool for early diagnosis and treatment," he said, adding that hearing loss could happen to all age groups.