BEIJING, Oct. 22 -- The city of Shanghai has created a 60,000 yuan (US$7,407) fund for hearing-impaired children under seven years to have an artificial cochlea transplant.

    Qualified children must be examined to confirm that their situation can't be improved by hearing-aids. They should also have a local residents' card, normal intelligence and be without character flaws.

    Moreover, their guardians must sign an agreement with the Shanghai Disabled Persons' Federation to ensure that the children will follow the training offered by the federation, which lasts about two years.

    A cochlea is a spiral-shaped cavity of the inner ear which contains nerve endings. A transplant thus can help retrieve hearing ability.

    In July, 11 children, mostly aged two to four years, were listed on a federation list, and a few have already undergone the operation.

    "To be frank, parents still have to spend another 50,000 yuan, at least, for the operation," said the federation's Qiu Yamei.

    Currently, there is no domestic artificial cochlea, and an imported one costs at least 110,000 yuan, including operation fees.

    The federation has appointed Shanghai Xinhua Hospital and Shanghai Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital to provide the operation.

    "Statistics indicate that the country has to invest 400,000 yuan annually for a deaf person," Qiu said. "If these people can hear, speak and work, they can contribute to society."

    (Source: Shanghai Daily news)