A young girl from Butterworth underwent a cochlear implant at Frere Hospital at the weekend after losing hearing in both ears as a result of contracting meningitis earlier this year.
Sigcobile Jako, 12, was diagnosed with meningitis in May after complaining of a minor headache.
The Grade 4 pupil at Mzamomhle Junior Secondary School lives with her aunt, Nyameka Jako, at Mayekiso Farm near Butterworth.
Jako explained the background to her niece’s condition: “She had a headache in May but a month later it got severe. She was hospitalised the whole month in June.
“I don’t know how to thank the doctors, may God bless them. I am truly thankful.”
Frere Hospital flew in Dr Gary Kroukamp from the Western Cape’s Tygerberg Hospital to perform the procedure on the little girl.
“We did the implant on the right ear.
“We had to drill away some of the bone behind the ear.
“The operation went well. At one point we took some time to find the right place to insert it but eventually we did,” he said.
Kroukamp said there were no problems or complications during the operation, and explained that Sigcobile would have to rely on that one ear for hearing for the rest of her life.
“She will have to go for regular checkups, and in the process she will also have to relearn how to understand sound.”
Kroukamp performed the operation pro bono, with assistance from four off-duty doctors, one of them on maternity leave.
The doctors said they wanted the first-hand experience.
The surgery was done in the presence of Mthatha’s Professor Charles-Lwanga Myataza, who said he hoped such services would be brought to Mthatha as well.
Frere audiologist Amy Klapwijk said: “We will switch the device on within a month,” adding that the wound had to first be given time to heal.
This is the second cochlear implant to be carried out in the public sector in the province.
Frere CEO Dr Rolene Wagner said: “Our intention in doing the procedure here is to train our doctors.
“We want them to learn and take over.
“That way we do not have to refer our patients to Tygerberg .”
Wagner said part of her mandate was to develop Frere into a tertiary hospital.
“We are doing this so that operations can be done closer to home, where there is a solid support system from family and friends,” she said.
Doctor Claudio Favara said: “Our province is behind because we lack funding.”