Three people have now died, while 78 more are struggling with symptoms
ranging from chest pain to anaphylactic shock, after receiving a hazardous
antibiotic injection.
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| The father
of a patient holds a bottle of clindamycin phosphate glucose at the
No 2 Hospital Affiliated to Harbin Medical University on Thursday
night. [Xinhua] | |
On Saturday the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) said the sufferers
who had all being injected with clindamycin phosphate glucose were now spread
across 10 provinces.
The injection, an antibiotic used to treat infections, is produced by the
Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co, a subsidiary of the Shanghai
Worldbest Co Ltd, in East China's Anhui Province.
On Thursday, the SFDA called for a halt to its use, after receiving reports
that patients who received the injections developed severe adverse reactions
such as chest, kidney or stomach pains, vomiting and even anaphylactic shock.
The first case was reported on July 27 in northwestern Qinghai Province.
"An investigation into the links between the drug and the cases has been
launched and no new cases have been reported since the ban," said a statement
issued by the SFDA.
The drug's first victim was a six-year-old girl who died in Northeast China's
Heilongjiang Province on July 27. Her death was followed by a 48-year-old
patient in Central China's Hubei Province, who was reported to have died on
August 2 after taking the same batch of the injection. The third death was a man
in his 70s in North China's Hebei Province.
In Tongzhou District of Beijing, a 32-year-old woman died after taking
clindamycin on Saturday. However, doctors denied the case had anything to do
with the injection from the Anhui Company because her injection was made by a
different company.
Also on Saturday, the Health Ministry sent a team of experts to the Harbin No
2 Hospital affiliated to the Harbin Medical University, where 15 people have
been hospitalized after receiving the injection.
The team will collect information and inspect the patients.
Li Jun, director of the administrative office of the Heilongjiang Provincial
Food and Drug Administration, said they were busy developing a test to see
whether these cases had been caused by the injection.
In an interview with China Central Television, Luo Huayu, president of the
labour union of the Anhui company, said there might have been something wrong
with the sterilization process.
If confirmed this will be the second confirmed case of severe drug poisoning
so far this year. In May and June a bogus medicine produced by Heilongjiang's
Qiqihar No 2 Pharmaceutical Company shocked the country by claiming 11 lives.
(China Daily 08/07/2006 page1)
