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China pledges health care for milk-scandal kids
By Li Xinran |
January 3, 2009, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
INFANTS sickened by tainted milk powder will continue to receive free medical treatment, the Ministry of Health promised yesterday, denying earlier media reports that raised doubts about the commitment.
The ministry ordered designated hospitals to keep providing free medical treatment for infants who are still suffering from kidney stones related to formula products containing the industrial chemical melamine, ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an said.
"Children under three years old who drank tainted milk and showed disease symptoms can still come to local hospitals for check-ups and will receive free treatment if diagnosed with stones in their urinary systems," Mao said.
He said some media reports raising concern about the practice were untrue, though it was not immediately clear what evidence was cited in those reports.
Dairies announced details of a 1.1 billion yuan (US$160 million) compensation plan this week as some 17 people went on trial for melamine contamination that killed at least six children and sickened nearly 300,000 others.
The chemical was used to mask low protein levels in diluted milk.
Under the plan, families whose children died will receive 200,000 yuan, while others will receive 30,000 yuan for serious cases of kidney stones and 2,000 yuan for less severe cases.
Another 200 million yuan will go to a fund to cover bills for lingering health problems.
But some parents of the victims said the compensation was unilaterally set by the companies with no participation from victims' families. They thought the amount of compensation was too low.
"The scandal caused great harm to infants and society, so firms involved in the scandal feel very sorry for this," the China Diary Industry Association told Xinhua news agency on Thursday. "These companies have offered to shoulder social responsibilities to acknowledge their wrongdoing and rebuild the dairy industry's reputation."
The health-effects funding is being provided by the 22 dairy producers implicated in the milk scandal to care for youngsters affected by melamine ingestion until they are 18 years old.
"The fund is big enough to cover all the medical expenses for the victim infants, and the compensation work is now under way," Xinhua quoted the association as saying.
The fund will be managed by China Life Insurance Co Ltd, the country's leading life insurer.
"We are deeply sorry for the harm we have brought to children and to the society," said a message issued on Thursday by Sanlu and 21 other diary companies. "We offer our sincere apology and beg forgiveness."
The companies also pledged to get rid of all substandard products and open themselves to the public.
Sanlu's former Chairwoman Tian Wenhua, and three other executives went on trial in Hebei Province on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to producing and selling fake or sub-standard dairy products.
The ministry ordered designated hospitals to keep providing free medical treatment for infants who are still suffering from kidney stones related to formula products containing the industrial chemical melamine, ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an said.
"Children under three years old who drank tainted milk and showed disease symptoms can still come to local hospitals for check-ups and will receive free treatment if diagnosed with stones in their urinary systems," Mao said.
He said some media reports raising concern about the practice were untrue, though it was not immediately clear what evidence was cited in those reports.
Dairies announced details of a 1.1 billion yuan (US$160 million) compensation plan this week as some 17 people went on trial for melamine contamination that killed at least six children and sickened nearly 300,000 others.
The chemical was used to mask low protein levels in diluted milk.
Under the plan, families whose children died will receive 200,000 yuan, while others will receive 30,000 yuan for serious cases of kidney stones and 2,000 yuan for less severe cases.
Another 200 million yuan will go to a fund to cover bills for lingering health problems.
But some parents of the victims said the compensation was unilaterally set by the companies with no participation from victims' families. They thought the amount of compensation was too low.
"The scandal caused great harm to infants and society, so firms involved in the scandal feel very sorry for this," the China Diary Industry Association told Xinhua news agency on Thursday. "These companies have offered to shoulder social responsibilities to acknowledge their wrongdoing and rebuild the dairy industry's reputation."
The health-effects funding is being provided by the 22 dairy producers implicated in the milk scandal to care for youngsters affected by melamine ingestion until they are 18 years old.
"The fund is big enough to cover all the medical expenses for the victim infants, and the compensation work is now under way," Xinhua quoted the association as saying.
The fund will be managed by China Life Insurance Co Ltd, the country's leading life insurer.
"We are deeply sorry for the harm we have brought to children and to the society," said a message issued on Thursday by Sanlu and 21 other diary companies. "We offer our sincere apology and beg forgiveness."
The companies also pledged to get rid of all substandard products and open themselves to the public.
Sanlu's former Chairwoman Tian Wenhua, and three other executives went on trial in Hebei Province on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to producing and selling fake or sub-standard dairy products.
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