Four children and one adult from the Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region will receive free surgery to fix congenital cleft lip and palate disorders, said the Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital on Wednesday.

The five patients of Tibetan heritage, with the youngest aged 7 months old, came to Shanghai for the charity surgery thanks to a program offering help to people with congenital deformities based on Shanghai's medical support to Xizang.

Targeting children from poor families with birth defects, the program is intended to improve local medical standards regarding congenital deformities and diseases and prevent Xizang families from returning to poverty due to high medical costs.

This batch of patients is the first group benefiting from the program, which sends patients with serious health issues to Shanghai for surgery.

They arrived with their families on Tuesday and will receive surgery on Thursday. All patients are expected to be discharged on Saturday.

The Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital said it has sent eight doctors to support Xizang.

Doctors from the Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital check children with cleft lip and palate disorders before surgery.