3 detained over kindergarten drug scandal in Jilin

Photo taken on March 15, 2014 shows the Fanglin Kindergarten, where an antiviral drug was found to have been used on children, in Jilin, northeast China's Jilin province. (Xinhua photo)

Three people in northeast China's Jilin province were detained by police over the weekend after a local private kindergarten was accused of illegally giving antiviral drugs to children, police said on Monday.

Wang Lina, assistant chairman of Fanglin Kindergarten in Jilin city, Zhang Xinyu and Guo Yuehui, president and assistant president respectively of one of the four branches under the kindergarten, had been detained as of 5 pm on Sunday. The other three branches are under police investigation.

Latest investigation confirmed that the branch of Fanglin Kindergarten in Gaoxin District had given some children the prescribed antiviral drug moroxydine ABOB to prevent them from catching cold and suffering from other infectious diseases.

Some pupils of kindergarten have shown symptoms including leg pain, nose bleeds, itchy skin and inflammation in the genital area, according to parents.

Authorities have arranged for all of the four branches' 375 pupils, including some who have graduated, to undergo physical examinations at local hospitals.

Among the 167 returned test reports, four children were found to have pelvic fluid, one was found to have renal enlargement and six were reported to have abnormal cardiac enzyme.

About 200 more children will take physical examinations on Monday.

The business license of the kindergarten was suspended on Saturday, and local education officials are arranging for its pupils to transfer to other kindergartens.

Moroxydine ABOB is used to treat flu. Earlier this week, the drug was also found to have been used on children at two kindergartens in northwest China's Shaanxi Province since 2008. Some staff at the kindergartens have been detained by local police.

Children at the two kindergartens in Shaanxi have also shown similar symptoms. Staff there said they had been using the drug to help kids ward off the flu and improve attendance.