Another kindergarten mired in drug scandal

Hundreds of parents gathered at a kindergarten in northwest China's Gansu Province on Tuesday morning demanding to know if their children have been given antiviral drugs.

Nie Aiqin, president of Litian kindergarten in the Qilihe District of Lanzhou City, admitted that the kindergarten gave children the antiviral Ribavirin twice after a child was found to have hand-foot-mouth disease in October 2013.

The private kindergarten has more than 270 students. Parents were furious when a teacher exposed the matter on Monday during an online discussion between the parents and teachers.

Some parents complain that their children have had skin rashes and leg pains which they fear could be the side effects of the drug use.

Bai Jing, mother of a five-year-old, said that her child had complained of itching and leg pain in recent months. Another mother Wang Bing said that since the second half of last year, her child had a red rash on the arms, legs and back.

Nie said the kindergarten bought 50 boxes of Ribavirin last October. The children were given the drug twice, each time for three days.

The parents are suspicious of the president's statement about the type and dosage of the drug. They are demanding a government investigation into this case to prevent such incidents occurring again. The kindergarten's purchase and use of the drug without a prescription is illegal.

Wei Lihong, deputy head of the district, said the city and district governments have formed a group to look into the case and those responsible will be punished.

Over the past few days, kindergartens in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, northeastern Jilin and central Hubei provinces have admitted giving children antiviral drugs.