Gyeonggi-do Provides Up to 6 Million Won for Cochlear Implant Surgery Costs for Hearing-Impaired Individuals

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province selected five recipients for the 'Cochlear Implant Surgery and Rehabilitation Support Project for the Hearing Impaired' in the first half of this year and will recruit an additional seven recipients by the 12th of next month.

Cochlear implant surgery is performed on individuals with severe hearing impairment who do not benefit from hearing aids and experience significant difficulties in verbal communication. The surgery involves implanting an electronic (electrode) device inside the ear to stimulate the auditory nerve, enabling the patient to hear sounds.

Hearing-impaired recipients selected for support will receive up to 6 million KRW for surgery costs in the year they undergo the procedure. From the year following the surgery, they can receive additional rehabilitation treatment support of up to 3 million KRW per year for three years.

The province will receive recommendations for candidates through the townships and neighborhoods of cities and counties by the 12th of next month, and will finalize the additional recipients next month. If the number of applicants exceeds seven, a waiting list will be established to prioritize selection, so that if any selected recipient declines surgery, the benefits can be passed on to other hearing-impaired individuals.

Heo Seong-cheol, Director of the Disability Welfare Division of the province, emphasized, "We hope this project will be an opportunity for hearing-impaired individuals to regain sound and confidently engage in society," adding, "We will continue to provide unwavering support to improve welfare for people with disabilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.