Good News for Parents: State Covers Cochlear Implant Surgery for Children

Minister of Public Health Rakan Nasreddine announced "the start of covering cochlear implant surgeries for children aged between one and six years at the Ministry's expense, a step that will allow children with severe hearing problems to overcome social isolation, boost self-confidence, and develop communication skills."

This move comes as part of the gradual plan by the Ministry of Public Health to expand hospital coverage and alleviate the suffering of patients and their families. It marks the opening of a new package—the second set of coverages—which will subsequently include scoliosis surgeries in children, treatment for epilepsy cases, and interventions related to strokes.

Nasreddine began the press conference held on this occasion by saying: "This is good news for children as well as for parents who suffer greatly to secure the costs of this procedure."

He clarified that "despite all tragedies, financial distress, and difficult conditions, the Ministry is advancing on a priority ladder to expand health coverage; within this framework, the Ministry had already started full (100%) coverage of hospitalization costs for uninsured Lebanese citizens in government hospitals, and approached coverage for essential life-saving operations, such as heart surgeries and bone marrow transplants, leading up to the launch of the second phase of coverages which includes cochlear implants for children, in cooperation with several university hospitals."

Nasreddine noted that "the cost of a cochlear implant surgery is $22,000, with the Ministry covering 80% of it, while allocating appropriate fees for the surgeon and the hospital." He confirmed that "the coverage includes the device and fifty training sessions after implantation, ensuring continuity of treatment and follow-up for children to guarantee benefit."

He stressed that "this step represents a humanitarian and ethical effort and responsibility, given the impact of hearing loss on a child's ability to acquire speech and communication," affirming "the Ministry's support for children and their parents," and stating that "identifying the beneficiaries of the coverage will be done through a scientific committee comprising doctors and academics according to established scientific standards," thanking "the university hospitals that expressed readiness to participate in this initiative."

He also thanked everyone who contributed to completing this file, particularly Dr. Gabriel Dounia from the American University of Beirut, the Directorate of Medical Care represented by Dr. Bernard Ghanem, the Minister's advisor Dr. Joseph Halou, and the rest of the working team members.

Nasreddine pointed out that "the second package of coverages will expand in the next phase to include scoliosis correction surgeries in children (scoliosis), treatment for childhood epilepsy cases (VNS), in addition to interventions related to blood clots and strokes."

He affirmed that "the Ministry's budget is limited, but adopting priorities allows for expanding the scope of health coverage," stressing that "the Ministry will not hesitate to utilize any available financial margin to add new services."