A group of cochlear implant recipients and their loved ones gathered at Tygerberg Hospital on Saturday to celebrate the hospital’s 1000th implant.
The electronic devices can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is deaf or hard of hearing.
Athule Mgodeli, 27, from Khayelitsha, was the 1000th recipient in September last year, according to hospital spokeswoman Laticia Pienaar.
The number of recipients has since increased to over 1 020 as of April this year, she said.
“The Tygerberg Hospital-Stellenbosch University cochlear implant programme services both state and private sector patients, and about 60 to 70 surgeries are done by the team each year,” she said.
Mr Mgodeli, who lost his hearing at the age of 10 as a result of pneumococcal meningitis, managed to obtain his matric in 2015 through lip-reading. He now works as a digital marketer.
“Deafness stood in my way and damaged my potential. Although I have used the cochlear device for a few months, it feels like I have received a new lease on life. The device has opened up so many possibilities and opportunities. I can hear even the slightest sound such as the keyboard, TV and music,” he said.
Ms Pienaar said the first cochlear implant programme in Africa was established at Tygerberg Hospital-Stellenbosch University in 1986.
