Mount Isa Mines has donated $43,180 for brand new diagnostic teleaudiology equipment available at the Mount Isa Hospital for newborns who do not pass their initial newborn hearing screen.

Access to this technology in Mount Isa allows hearing loss in newborns to be detected early ensuring children can receive timely and appropriate treatment and intervention, reducing the initial need to travel to other parts of the state.

North West Hospital and Health Service (HHS) Chief Executive Craig Carey said access to this technology in Mount Isa ensured local families could stay together close to home.

“We are grateful to have this technology readily available for children who require full diagnostic audiology, allowing us to better support our families and keep them as close to home as possible,” he said.

“Previously, the nearest diagnostic audiology service for newborns and infants was at Townsville Hospital, so we are grateful for Mount Isa Mines’ contribution to provide this service in our region.”

Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC) Manager for Mount Isa Mines Anne Williams said Glencore was dedicated to supporting essential health services in the region and making a real difference in the lives of people who live in the community.

“Having this equipment in Mount Isa means families can attend an appointment at Mount Isa Hospital to find out straightaway how well their baby can hear. Reducing the delay and enabling families to remain close to their support networks is important,” she said.

Families attend an appointment at Mount Isa Hospital while an audiologist from Healthy Hearing runs the appointment from Brisbane, where they can see and talk with the family via telehealth and connect and control the diagnostic equipment remotely.

An assistant on site sets up the diagnostic equipment, connecting sensors to the baby’s head and places earphones in the baby’s ears, allowing the audiologist to run a number of tests.

At the completion of testing, families should have a clear answer about whether their child needs help with their hearing and if so, will be referred on for appropriate care.

North West HHS sincerely thanks Mount Isa Mines and the Healthy Hearing team at Children’s Health Queensland for their contributions to making this service available for families in the north west.