Cheaper cochlear implant helps hearing-impaired student hear

Starting this month, China's centralized procurement of cochlear implants has taken effect, reducing the average cost of the devices by 75 percent, CCTV News reported on Tuesday.

Zhu Yuanyuan, a 21-year-old hearing-impaired student from Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, is one of the first beneficiaries to undergo cochlear implant surgery thanks to the policy. "It sounds like electricity currents or a running stream. Really magical! For the first time, I understood the doctor's words without lip reading," Zhu said excitedly during her first cochlear adjustment after the surgery.

Zhu was not born deaf, which made her condition particularly painful because she knew what a normal life was like. Her condition gradually worsened, and by the age of 13, she had lost all hearing due to a first-degree hearing disability caused by severe damage to her auditory system. "That is worse than being born deaf because I know what I've lost. I do miss the time when I could hear," she confessed. The doctor attributed her hearing loss to genetic factors - her mother was born deaf, and her father lost his hearing later in life.

Though she had previously researched cochlear implants online, prohibitive costs made them out of reach, as she didn't want to burden her family. Instead she worked several part-time jobs. Last year, her mother passed away, and her 60-year-old father continues to work at a stainless steel plant, while her younger brother, the only member of the family with normal hearing, is preparing for the college entrance exam. Before the surgery, Zhu worked at a local printing factory. "This job doesn't require communication with people - just packing, bagging and taping boxes," Zhu explained.

The inclusion of the devices in last year's national bulk procurement program reignited her hope. With partial funding from a charity, she was able to finally access the treatment at Beijing Tongren Hospital in March. Now, she faces months of rehabilitation to adapt to the artificial cochlear.

Li Yongxin, director of the ophthalmology department of Beijing Tongren Hospital, said the pre-procurement cost, ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 yuan, deterred many patients in the past. "Now with the national procurement program as well the social security system, more patients can afford this while doctors gain better treatment options, advancing our academic research as well," noted Li.

When questioned about post-recovery plans, Zhu answered immediately, "I will call my besties and tell them — you can treat me as a normal person now!" With restored hearing, she now aims to pursue undergraduate studies though academic upgrading exams, as she failed to enter ideal university due to impaired hearing which affected her performance in high school. "I want to explore the world independently," she declared.

In China, hearing and speech impairment account for a third of the disabled population. As the procurement policy is being implemented nationwide, more and more people, like Zhu, are expected to access affordable treatments.