Calia group which owns the Gambia’s first hearing clinic says it services and products will be affordable to all Gambians.

The clinic, which started operating yesterday (16 February), is based at the Senegambia Tropical mall.

“We are making a great effort to bring down the price for hearing aid at 5,000 dalasis for one gadget,” managing director Raul Dos Santos told reporters at a news conference.  

Mr Santos said he plans to expand the clinic to other parts of the country, adding that he was motivated to launch the clinic because “one of the first things I realised when I came to the Gambia was that there was only one professional audiology in Banjul.

He continued: “The main objective of this clinic is to ensure high quality product and services at affordable prices for The Gambians. 

“We don’t want focus on the rich people who can travel to Dakar and other parts of the world.

“I have been to Bansang and Basse and I think there is a greater potential there to extend our operation. 

“It’s not something that we will do this year but for sure we will do in the coming years. And I would really like to put a satellite hub in Basse for operation.”

St John’s school for the deaf principal Daniel J Mendy said the clinic will alleviate a lots of problems affecting people with loss of hearing particularly his students. 

“We have been battling for hearing aids but we still rely on friends and donors who visited the school. 

“We usually received hearing aids that are the analogue type. Now that we are fortunate to have people who are donating the digital type, I am really please and happy.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba