Kindersley hospital will be able to screen newborn babies for early signs of hearing loss.

The Saskatchewan Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program is now available in 17 different hospitals across the province, thanks to funding from last year. $523,000 was allocated in last year’s provincial budget for the program.

The Universal Newborn Hearing Program identifies early signs of hearing loss so the language and literacy skills of children who are deaf or hard of hearing can be improved.

“Having a Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program in Saskatchewan represents a huge win for the province,” Saskatchewan Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Executive Director Nairn Gillies said.  “Early identification of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children is key in eliminating debilitating linguistic delays.  Universal Newborn Hearing Screening is a critical step toward empowering parents to engage with their newborns with hearing loss in a much more-timely and informed manner.”

The program came into effect on May 1, 2019, you can view more information on the program or hospitals that offer here.