Chinese VP visits babies sickened by tainted milk powder

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-21 10:18

SHIJIAZHUANG -- Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang had a full schedule on Saturday afternoon as he spent time in north Hebei Province visiting infant patients stricken by tainted milk powder, talking to doctors, dairy farmers and salesman in a local supermarket.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (C), also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visits an infant patient at Dingxing County Hospital of north China's Hebei Province, Sept. 20, 2008. Li visited infant patients sickened by the tainted milk powder, doctors, dairy farmers and salesman in local supermarket in the province on Saturday. [Xinhua]

In Dingxing County Hospital of Hebei Province, he went to the infants ward where he talked to parents and inquired about the symptoms and progress of the patients' illness.

In the hospital ultrasonic room, he asked if it had enough facilities to guarantee all babies were getting treatment.

Local governments and hospitals should give support if necessary equipment was needed for providing treatment for the babies, he stressed.

Hearing most doctors were working overtime as more parents were sending their babies for examination, he expressed his heartfelt thanks to the medics and urged them to keep up their efforts and make sure all babies were getting prompt care.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (R), also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, watches as an infant patient is checked at Dingxing County Hospital of north China's Hebei Province, Sept. 20, 2008. [Xinhua]

The treatment should not be delayed or interrupted on the grounds of lacking in medical expenses, he said, adding hospitals should send doctors to villages and remote areas to collect babies who had developed kidney stones after taking the milk powder tainted by melamine.

Li also visited Cui Zhiqiang, a villager in Housuoying Village of Dingxing County, whose one-year-old daughter had recovered.

All diary products manufacturers should recall suspect products and consumers should be refunded if they returned those products. Li made the remarks while talking to a salesman in Womei Supermarket in the county seat of Dingxing.

He then went to Shiqiao Village of Dingxing Township where he asked about the milk supply.

He asked local officials to take measures to ensure the farmers' interests would not be hurt by the scandal.

More than 6,200 infants developed kidney stones after drinking a baby formula tainted with melamine. The chemical, which was added illegally,makes the protein content of milk appear higher than it actually is. The formula has so far killed four infants.

Dairy giant Sanlu based in the Hebei provincial capital of Shijiazhuang was the first company exposed in the scandal.