00:00 Asparzia Paspiliaris's triplets are almost 10.
00:06 One of her girls, Amelia, got cochlear implants around 3 years of age.
00:11 But like dozens of others who were treated at Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital,
00:15 her device wasn't working properly.
00:18 Not knowing how far back her mapping's been incorrect, it's devastating.
00:24 My heart breaks for my child.
00:26 Problems with the hospital's cochlear implant program were found to date back to 2006.
00:31 The South Australian Government has apologised, but it's cold comfort to families whose children
00:37 faced years of developmental delays.
00:40 She's got two triplet sisters who are so much more advanced than her and she's in year four
00:46 being graded at a year two level, but technically at a year two level just.
00:51 Audiologist Nicole Eglinton blew the whistle on the issue last year after multiple patients
00:57 presented with problems.
00:58 This little bit here is what curls around inside the cochlea.
01:02 She says the review is vindication for parents whose concerns went ignored.
01:06 What they felt, what they saw and what they reported for their children is what was happening.
01:11 And you know, the mum and dad gut was right.
01:14 While hundreds of families have now been offered ex gratia payments, some are pursuing more
01:20 compensation.
01:21 Please hope that there won't be too many hurdles in relation to proving that there's some fault
01:25 on behalf of the government for each of these children.
01:27 The South Australian bungle isn't the only one, with a similar problem emerging at Townsville
01:32 University Hospital earlier this year.
01:36 The SA Government's own review warned a lack of nationally consistent accreditation and
01:41 training standards for audiologists may mean issues are going undetected in other states.
01:48 We need national guidelines.
01:49 We need all of the people working in this area to actually come together and share information
01:53 and share protocols.
01:54 A warning she hopes the nation will hear.
01:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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