State to fund bilateral cochlear implants for children under four

Following a decision by the Ministry of Health, the state-funded cochlear implant scheme is set to expand under the Universal Healthcare Programme. As a result of this update, bilateral (both ears) cochlear implantation will now be fully accessible for children under the age of four.

To discuss the rollout, the Minister of Health, Mikheil Sarjveladze, met with representatives from the Georgian Association of Otorhinolaryngologists and other medical specialists in the field. During the meeting, the parties reviewed the planned updates to the scheme and the logistics of their implementation.

“It was highlighted that expanding the programme will vastly improve development, speech, and social integration opportunities for children with severe hearing loss, given that restoring full hearing capacity at an early age is of paramount importance,” the Ministry of Health stated in an official release.

The ministry also noted that the scheme will continue to fund unilateral (single ear) cochlear implants, which remain available to patients of all ages based on clinical need and medical referral.

“The state programme also covers the essential post-operative rehabilitation and therapy sessions required after cochlear implantation. This ensures comprehensive rehabilitation for patients and significantly improves long-term treatment outcomes,” the Ministry of Health added.