Australian state gives grant for hearing impaired in India

New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) An Australian state has announced a grant of over $100,000 to a Mumbai-based charitable center engaged in rehabilitating hearing impaired children in India, officials said Thursday

The grant was announced by New South Wales's Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner for aural education for the hearing impaired (AURED) centre, according to an official statement. He recently visited India.

The grant will support the AURED centre with funding for 10 more children who will receive the revolutionary hearing implants from the Sydney-based Cochlear. The associated therapy will not only allow them to hear but also teach them to speak.

"Australian technology has already made a major impact in the lives of a few children in India. It was truly inspiring to meet with a group of hearing impaired Indian children whose lives have been transformed through technology developed by a world-leading New South Wales company," Stoner was quoted as saying in the statement.

He said that for more than 30 years, Cochlear has been making a difference to the lives of hearing impaired people around the world by providing life-changing hearing solutions.

"They plan to invest further in the Indian market through direct operations and to build awareness of hearing-related disease through education and campaigning among medical professionals," the deputy premier said.

Each implant and associated therapy will approximately cost little over $11,000.

The AURED currently has about 500 Cochlear implant students across 90 cities in India. Over 80 per cent of students are taught free or on a sliding pay scale.