Regional News of Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Source: --

ENT specialist warns against excessive noise

; it creates health problems

Takoradi, Dec. 15, GNA – Dr Paul Kwaw Ntodi, an Ear,

Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist, on Wednesday warned the public

against excessive noise making as it brings about various health problems.

Dr Ntodi, who is also the Medical Director of the Effia Nkwanta Regional

Hospital in Takoradi, said excessive noise contributes to cardiac,

anxiety, deafness, nervousness, hypertension and sleeplessness

among other health problems.

There is the need for the authorities to ensure that the noise impact

is reduced to the barest minimum, he stated, adding, noise level

of 100 decibels is injurious to the ear organs.

The ENT specialist made the call at the Western Regional Noise

Awareness Day Celebration organized by the Western Regional

office of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the public and

students.

The day was observed on the theme, “Noise the silent killer; protect

your hearing and health”.

Dr Ntodi admonished management of companies whose operations

create noise to insist that their employees use ear, nose and mouth

protective gadgets to safeguard their health.

He suggested to industrial companies and those that make noise to

compel their staff to undergo ear, nose and throat medical

examination taking on in order to know their status of their bodily

organs.

For those who use earphones, he advised that the noise level must

be tuned in moderation else its continuous use in loud noise could

impact negatively on their ear drums.

Captain Anthony Cudjoe, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Chief

Executive, deplored interferences from certain quarters in the event

of the Assembly taking measures to discipline offenders of noise

making.

Mr Yaw Sarfo-Afriyie, Western Regional Environmental Officer, said

his outfit is always bombarded with reports of noise making from the

public.

To this end, henceforth, his office would deal ruthlessly with

offenders to bring sanity into the system.

The public who attended the programme, identified the churches,

industrial companies, funerals, spinners, vehicles as avenues for

excessive noise making.