There are nearly 30,000 babies born with hearing defects in China every year but the medical professionals in treating them are far from enough, an expert warned on Friday.

China currently has 60 million handicapped people, among whom 20.57 million have hearing disabilities including 800,000 deaf children, according to figures from the China Deaf-mute Children's Rehabilitation Research Center.

Nearly 30,000 deaf babies were born each year because of hereditary factors, drug poisoning and other accidents, but most of them could recover to some degree and speak if given proper training, said Wang Yachen, director of the project office of the center.

However, by the end of 2004, China had only 10,782 professionals in deaf recovery training and 1,700 training institutes, which helped 220,473 deaf children regain or improve hearing and speaking abilities, only 27.5 percent of the total number, he said.

Both the quantity and the quality of the staff need improving, and the training techniques and methods should be upgraded too, Wang added.

Deaf-mute recovery was enrolled in the national development scheme in 1988. Current statistics were based on the research in 1987, according to the center.

Wang said the center had conducted a second nationwide research this year and updated statistics would be available soon.

Source: Xinhua