Desperately Seeking a Place in Iligan City (Philippines) That Can Test a 3-Year-Old’s Hearing

GnarlyKnuckles on 11/04/2024 - 23:50

I understand that this is totally from ‘left field’; but I’m going to ask the question here anyways, on the off chance that someone can help. Maybe someone with connections in Iligan City. Maybe also, someone who can speak Bisaya (not just Tagalog) …

Some time ago I was contacted by a family living in Iligan City with a 2-year-old boy (now aged 3 years), asking why their child is not talking yet. He is smart and sociable (I have seen videos), but totally non-verbal. I suggested that the first step would be to get his hearing tested. The family reports that there is nowhere in Iligan City that can do this though, which I find astonishing, given that the City has a population approaching 400,000.

I tried calling the main public hospital there in Iligan, but they told me (in a nutshell) that this was ‘not their bag’, and advised me that the family would probably need to take their boy to Cagayan de Oro (a long way away) to have his hearing tested. I located a couple of other medical places in Iligan and contacted them, but they told me the same thing. Somewhat bizarrely, one of them told me they were equipped to test hearing, but only in newborns or adults; not a 3-year-old (?!?). I tried to gently and politely ask if they could at least try ‘adapting their systems’ to test this boy (and offered to pay for the session/test), but they remained adamant that it was not an option. I think there was some sort of restriction involved, but it was a bit hard for me to get to the bottom of the actual reason, because their English was not crash hot; and my 'Bisaya' is non-existent.

So, I am reaching out here as a last resort. The short version of all of the above is this:

Does anyone know of a place in Iligan City, Philippines, that can reliably test the hearing of a 3-year-old boy?

I have made various efforts, and all have amounted to nothing unfortunately.

Health & Beauty Asia Philippines

Comments

  • foxmulder on 11/04/2024 - 23:55

    Just ask your question in bold to Gemini, it will give you results. My daughter is the same, non talking, hearing test is indeed first step before pediatrician. Do not delay though, the earlier the better.

  • GnarlyKnuckles on 12/04/2024 - 00:04

    Yo foxy, re:

    Just ask your question in bold to Gemini

    What is 'Gemini'?

    Also, I know that time is of the essence (because maybe it is a hearing problem that can be corrected if identified early enough, or at least addressed to an extent), but my hands are tied in a way, because I am here in Australia/not there 'on the ground' in Iligan City/the Philippines … and I don't even speak the main language used there in Iligan City (Bisaya) … though admittedly most medical professionals there speak very good English. Sometimes on the phone though, they use the wrong words/lapse into Bisaya, and I can not glean exactly what their advice is.

  • pao2x on 12/04/2024 - 00:17
    +4

    Try this

    https://www.yellow-pages.ph/business/iligan-diagnostic-heari…

    or ADVENTIST MEDICAL CENTER - ILIGAN HEARING CARE CENTER located at the Ground Floor of the hospital. For inquiry please call (063) 2213029

    it may not be a specialised childhood hearing center but it is worth a shot

  • AustriaBargain on 12/04/2024 - 02:14
    +1

    asking why their child is not talking yet. He is smart and sociable (I have seen videos), but totally non-verbal

    I had a friend in high school whose little brother was like that. She said it turned out his ears were blocked with wax. A doctor must have looked into his ears already though so you can probably rule that out.

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 12/04/2024 - 02:32
      +4

      AusB, re:

      A doctor must have looked into his ears already though so you can probably rule that out.

      I think not, actually. My understanding is that nothing has been comprehensively assessed, and therefore nothing can be 'ruled out'. I want some thorough testing to be done, particularly hearing testing. It seems like a simple concept here in Australia, but in certain parts of the Philippines it is not like that.

      • Ryanek on 12/04/2024 - 09:42

        Hmmm I wonder why you're getting downvoted.

        • pao2x on 12/04/2024 - 10:29
          +6

          Probably priveleged people who think most people has easy health care access.

          It's the Philippines in a minor "city", and in the South (semi active armed rebellion for the better part of 70 years, almost 400 if you count Spain), though not much in Iligan. Health care is not free, in fact it is expensive for the usual folk, it's hard to access and I highly doubt just any doctor has an otoscope in their bag of tools to even have a proper look (it has to be a semi decent establishment/ or the rare MD who has one).

        • AustriaBargain on 12/04/2024 - 10:59
          +1

          Don't look at me, I just woke up.

  • brifog on 12/04/2024 - 10:02
    -4

    I would have been leaning towards autism if he's non-verbal at 3 years old rather than a hearing issue. Why does the family believe he has hearing issues? Does he not react to sounds?

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 12/04/2024 - 11:37

      I was waiting for someone to chime in with the now 'super trendy' (and incredibly over-diagnosed) 'A word'. As I said, the boy is very social. He shows zero signs of autism. Tellingly, if you clap loudly/sharply behind his head while he is sitting down paying and can not see you, he does not respond at all. In my summation the boy can hear nothing. I want this 'officially' diagnosed, and I want some investigations to be done to see if anything can be done to rectify it. If nothing can be done for his hearing, at least an official diagnosis will mean that appropriate steps can be taken to ensure that he gets some form of appropriate education moving forward.

  • frondono on 12/04/2024 - 11:40

    https://www.eardiagnostics.com.ph/mindanao/

    Found this with a quick search

    • frondono on 12/04/2024 - 11:40
      +1

      Iligan City

      EDI ILIGAN

      Butuan Doctor’s Hospital JC Aquino Avenue Butuan City

      09177934171

      [email protected]

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 12/04/2024 - 11:42
      +1

      Thank you very kindly, I will email the 'Iligan branch' listed there right now, and see what comes of it. Curiously this did not come up in any of my Googling …

      Sadly though, I note that though it states 'Iligan City', the actual address given is in Batuan City; which is about 6 hours away from Iligan City, by motorbike; an impossible distance for these guys to travel with a toddler.

  • trulymadly on 12/04/2024 - 13:24
    +3

    If you don't have any luck with the above suggestions, maybe you could also ask the question on one of the Philippines subreddits? e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/Philippines_Expats/, https://www.reddit.com/r/Philippines/, https://www.reddit.com/r/pinoymed/

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 12/04/2024 - 13:26

      Thank you for that suggestion/information.

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