In Gaza, where war has silenced so many voices, more than 180 children are waiting for the chance to regain their hearing after years of suspended cochlear implant surgeries. Three years of waiting meant more than just the absence of a medical service; it meant children were deprived of hearing their families’ voices and communicating with their surroundings. The resumption of surgeries opens the door for them to hear, speak, and integrate into school and society.
Mahmoud Al-Yaqubi, director of the cochlear implant project and representative of Estimed Medical and Hearing Solutions, said that the cochlear implant program in the Gaza Strip has resumed after a three-year hiatus due to the war. The program aims to help children regain their hearing and return to their auditory and social lives. He explained that the current phase targets 50 cochlear implant surgeries, while the number of children in need of this service is no less than 180, according to the World Health Organization, with many more on the waiting list.
Al-Yaqubi explained that the suspension of surgical services over the past three years coincided with hearing damage caused by the war, leading to cases of hearing loss or impairment, which has increased the need for cochlear implant services. He explained that the electronic cochlear implant is a therapeutic tool that helps children regain their hearing, and move from silence to the ability to hear and communicate, enabling them to develop speech, go to school or kindergarten, and integrate into their social environment, in addition to their ability to perceive the auditory hazards around them, and reduce the burdens borne by their families.
