Operation Otitis Media Surgery to celebrate HM the King’s 72nd Birthday
Since 1972, the Foundation has operated by utilizing the concept of
mobility, which is effective and practical to reach remote parts of
Thailand.
The service is mainly offered in community hospitals, especially the remote provinces where economic status is low and transportation is problematic.
In each service visit, approximately 30-35 patients would get surgical intervention. The operation is to prevent death or disability from abscess rupture into the brain, which is a direct result from untreated cholesteatoma/ severe otitis media. Tympanoplasty was performed on patients with ruptured tympanic membrane in order to improve hearing and prevent chronic otitis media.
In
1999, Ministry of Finance and National Lottery Office sponsored us to carry
out “Otitis Media Surgery to celebrate HM the King’s 72nd
Birthday”, to examine and provide treatment for the patients with ear
diseases, in total number of 17,341, in which 1629 of those had received
surgical interventions for otitis media. This project had served rural and
border hospitals in 59 districts throughout Thailand.
We have earned international reputation for Thailand by representing Thai government in conducting surgical operation and care for patients with ear diseases in Southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bhutan. Furthermore, we were honored by United Nation Development Program (UNDP) of United Nation (UN) to demonstrate the Mobile Team in Kenya, Africa and India.
Our Foundation has developed the Mobile Team’s operation in treatment, surgical techniques, equipments and transportation to reach the standard. This is considered appropriate in working in rural areas, that it is recognized by many international institutions. The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has recognized and announced the Foundation as an outstanding humanitarian organisation. Annually, many American, British and Canadian universities dispatch a number of otolaryngologists to observe and share the field experience with the Foundation staff.
The Foundation, in co-operation with the Ministry of Public Health, had also
initiated a project to screen hearing ability in primary school students.
This project had benefited approximately 6 million Thais in over 600
districts across Thailand. The co-operation of these two organisations
results in forming a team of 9,618 health care officers from 8,263 health
stations across Thailand. The project emphasized the training of officers to
be able to screen hearing loss and to detect and treat early simple ear
diseases.
The Foundation had developed the “Mass Screening Audiometer”, designed to serve a large quantum of patients. The invention had been recognized to have reached the international standard as well as being economical and well functioned for it purpose.
Through fund raising, the Foundation was able to built 600 ‘Mass Screening
Audiometers’. These machines were presented to Her Royal Highness Princess
Mahachakrisiridhorn and thereafter given to the Ministry of Public Health,
to be distributed to all health stations throughout Thailand.
Academically, the Foundation has been co-operated in teaching and improving microscopic surgical skills to many physicians in many disciplines, as examples listed below:
Chulalongkorn University
Mahidol University
Prince of Songkhla University
Chiangmai University
Royal College of Otolaryngologists of Thailand
Royal College of Surgeons of Thailand
Royal College of Ophthalmologists of Thailand
Project: “100,000 Cataract surgeries execute honour HM the King”
Project: Thai Red Cross’s “Return sounds to hearing”