[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will support the costs of cochlear implant surgery and rehabilitation treatment for the hearing impaired this year, following last year.
Cochlear implant surgery is a procedure in which an electronic (electrode) device is implanted into the ear to stimulate the auditory nerve and enable hearing, replacing the non-functioning cochlea in severely hearing-impaired individuals who have difficulty with everyday language communication.
Selected recipients can receive up to 6 million KRW per person for surgery costs. Since the average surgery cost ranges from 3 to 4 million KRW, any remaining funds after surgery can be used for rehabilitation treatment. Additionally, from the year following the surgery, recipients can receive up to 3 million KRW annually for rehabilitation treatment for three years.
The province will accept applications for recipients through the towns, townships, and neighborhoods of cities and counties until the 5th of next month and will select 22 individuals. If the number of applicants exceeds 22, a waiting list will be created, and those on the list will be selected as recipients in order if any selected individuals decline the surgery.
A provincial official explained, "Supporting the costs of cochlear implant surgery and rehabilitation treatment will contribute to the recovery of auditory function and improvement of communication skills for the hearing impaired."
The province started this project in 2002 and has supported surgery and rehabilitation costs for 430 hearing-impaired individuals up to last year.
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