NAGICO donates to hearing disability machine purchase

BASSETERRE, ST.KITTS: Last Friday morning (11 May 2012), Minister of Education Hon. Nigel Carty accepted a cheque in the amount US $600 from the General Manager of NAGICO, Mr. Rishi Singh that will go towards the purchase of an audiometer (plus a selection of batteries for the candidates) which costs U$1500.

The handing over ceremony was held at the company’s office located at Bladen’s Commercial Development.

This was the final set of money that was needed to make the purchase necessary. Moreover, the machine will be purchased from overseas although a company had not yet been identified.

Mr. Rishi Singh, Manager of NAGICO, explained that when the company was approached for assistance the company did not hesitated coming on board as a good corporate citizen.

He said NAGICO has been known for assisting worthy causes, adding that the company is always happy to help with such ventures. Singh went on to say that the monetary donation was a way of giving back to the community and was pleased that the company’s assistance would go a long way in assisting with the hear care of those with hearing disabilities.

Minister Carty recalled that last year the Starkey Hearing Foundation (out of the USA) visited St. Kitts to provide assistance for the diagnosis and treatment of hearing disability which was held at the Cotton Thomas Comprehensive School (formerly Special Education Unit).

He thanked NAGICO for being a good corporate citizen and also thanked the first two donors for their valuable donations.

Carty thanked and commended NAGICO for “meeting the challenge and giving a hand to meet the needs of a “significant number of our people.”

He touched on the importance of making the programme a sustainable one since the Starkey Hearing Foundation team would not be able to come to the Federation every year. Carty spoke about the services of having trained people on the ground to do work like hearing tests, making ear mold and the need for the audiometer that would be needed to test the level of hearing for students and other people in general in the community.

He highlighted that the Hearing Aid Mission is an ongoing exercise over a number of years and noted that NAGICO’s contribution ”will take us a long way, month after month, year after year in assisting people with hearing difficulty to receive treatment and provision of hearing support devices.”

Chief Executive Officer for the Caribbean Foundation For Children Inc. (in St.Kitts/Nevis), Evelyn Henville had made an earlier request for help to ministers Liburd and Carty in seeking another donor.

She had mentioned before that Four Seasons Homeowners Association donated one audiometer (tam-25) for Nevis. Additionally, she informed that the Pediatric Assistance League (PALS) via one of its members Dr. Patrick Martin who is the Chief Medical Officer committed to the donation of US$400.

She also pointed out that each trainee also received a free otoscope to conduct primary ear care in public health centres. Additionally, the Starkey Hearing Foundation provided hearing aids at a retail cost of US$3,000 for free to 150 citizens in the Federation.

According to her Starkey “is also willing to continue this free programme if our Federation can provide the audiometric pure tone testing and make ear mold impressions on island then mailed to Starkey.

Minister Liburd stated that without an audiometer on St.Kitts and Nevis, citizens would have to go abroad for the service which can be exorbitant.