Díaz-Canel praises development of cochlear implant program in Cuba

President Miguel Díaz-Canel pointed out on Sunday that the cochlear implant program in Cuba remains a priority in the healthcare system, despite the shortcomings caused by the United States blockade.

Regarding the celebration of International Cochlear Implant Day on Sunday, the president highlighted on his X profile that this program in Cuba is one of the most sensitive and humane of the Revolution.

On this date in 1957, the first cochlear implant in the world was performed by French Doctors André Djourno and Charles Eyries, who made history by making a totally deaf person hear.

Among the specialized services provided by the Cuban healthcare system is the National Cochlear Implant Program, which has been developed for 25 years, with priority for children with multiple disabilities, including deafness and blindness.

Cuba performed the first single-channel extracochlear implant in 1987 and ten years later multichannel intracochlear implants began at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in Havana.

The cochlear implant program in Cuba is supported by the Government and the Ministry of Public Health, and is accessible to the entire country and completely free of charge, including technological updates.