About Us

Bay Audio embraces responsibility for the impact of its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, shareholders and all other members of the public. Moreover, our aim is to help, educate and encourage communities to take steps to live a better life.

Here you’ll find more information our community activities:  Pacific Aid Hearing Programme.

Bay Audio is playing a key role in a joint project to improve hearing among Pacific Island communities.

If you have used hearing aids and you’d like to donate them to Pacific Aid, and make a big difference to someone’s life, please contact your local Bay Audio clinic.

Bay audiologist Karen Allen felt privileged to be part of a team of five (ENT, anesthetist, theatre nurse and a specialist ear nurse) who participated in the Cook Islands project. During the 10-day visit many locals who were having difficulties with hearing loss were helped.

Karen Allen, Senior Audiologist, Bay Audio

The team travelled to Mauke as their first stop, a small island with a population of approximately 300. Working at the local hospital, Karen fitted 10 people with hearing aids. A number of other adults had hearing loss but at that stage were reluctant to wear hearing aids. It is hoped these people may be able to be reviewed in any subsequent visits to the island. Many others attended the day clinic at the hospital for earwax suctioning. The local nurses on the island were very hospitable, giving the team tours of their local attractions: caves, cliffs and coconut trees!

The next stop for the team was Rarotonga, where they set up in a local hospital for the week long clinic.

Working with Apii (the local public health nurse and excellent translator) almost 16 people were seen per day; mostly those who had seen their doctor had complained of hearing difficulties.

A number of hearing tests were also completed for the ENT prior to surgeries. Over the week in Rarotonga, Karen fitted 28 hearing aids, completed 25 hearing tests and re-tubed some of the moulds.

While Bay Audio patients who had recently upgraded their own aids donated most of the hearing aids, GN ReSound kindly donated six new behind the ear style hearing aids, complete with cases, cleaning tools and batteries. These aids were fitted primarily to the children who were seen on the trip, and one to a local nurse.

Karen, the audiologist, also gave an educational presentation to nursing students and a few doctors about hearing loss and hearing aids. The focus of the presentation was how to screen for people with hearing loss and knowing when to refer for a diagnostic hearing test. There was a focus on glue ear and perforated eardrums as well, the two things the local medical team commonly treats.

During the last trip in December 2007, Bay audiologist Ryan Allen travelled with a team of clinicians who provided 67 consultations and fitted more than 45 hearing aids. He says hearing aids are out of reach for many Pacific Islanders.

"New Zealanders can play an important role in improving hundreds of lives – simply by donating used hearing aids, which Bay recycles for the Pacific Aid Hearing Programme."

Ryan says the team often worked in difficult conditions, highlighting daily hardships faced by many Cook Islanders. Communities are dispersed over multiple islands, making efficient delivery of healthcare services difficult. Air travel is expensive and not always available to remote regions.