Quito, February 25, 2023
About 200 people with hearing disabilities will benefit from this project
The Ministry of Public Health (MSP), through the Project to Strengthen Comprehensive Care, Detection, Prevention, Rehabilitation and Empowerment of people with disabilities, plans for this 2023 the acquisition of 73 cochlear implants and 110 replacements of cochlear implants nationwide. national, with an investment that exceeds 2 million dollars.
The cochlear implant is an electronic device that helps improve hearing. These implants are placed around the damaged parts of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. The auditory nerve sends the received signals and emits them to the brain allowing it to be recognized as sound.
In 2022, 142 hearing impaired people accessed a cochlear implant and processors improving their quality of life. The devices were placed in three cities in the country. In Guayaquil: Abel Gilbert Pontón Specialty Hospital and Icaza Bustamante Pediatric Hospital; in Cuenca at the Vicente Corral Moscoso General Hospital; and in Quito at the Baca Ortiz Pediatric Hospital and the Eugenio Espejo Specialties Hospital.
In 2022, they also invested in the placement of hearing aids for nearly 5,000 people with hearing disabilities with an investment of one million dollars.
This February 25th marks International Cochlear Implant Day, in honor of the date on which the first procedure with this device was performed.
The Ministry of Public Health guarantees care for people with hearing disabilities, for which a comprehensive care program is maintained that includes screening for early detection of hearing problems; auditory-oral rehabilitation therapies and delivery of specialized technical aids.
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