Press Release – New Zealand Government The Labour Government will invest $6 million for 70 additional adult cochlear implants this year to significantly reduce the historical waitlist, Health Minister Andrew Little says. Cochlear implants are life changing for kiwis who suffer from severe … The Labour Government will invest $6 million for 70 additional adult cochlear implants this year to significantly reduce the historical waitlist, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “Cochlear implants are life changing for kiwis who suffer from severe hearing loss. As well as improving an individual’s hearing, they open doors to employment, training and enhanced wellbeing,” Andrew Little said. “This investment will have an immediate effect by reducing the historical adult wait list.”