Kindergarten suspended for giving RX pills to kids for months  

西安一幼儿园长期给学生服食药物被停业整顿

11日，上百名学生家长聚集在西安市枫韵幼儿园，质疑该园在他们不知情的情况下，长期给自己的孩子服用一种名为“ABOB”(俗称病毒灵)的药片，并引起不良反应。记者11日下午获悉，目前该幼儿园已被停业整顿。西安市官员称，可为服食过药物的孩子们安排体检。[查看全文]

Xi'an (ECNS) -- A kindergarten in northwest China's Shaanxi Province has been suspended for feeding white prescription-strength antiviral pills to 400 kids for several months behind parents' back, Chinanews.com reported.

The private kindergarten affiliated with Soong Ching Ling Foundation's Shaanxi branch was exposed Monday on Sina Weibo.

The head of the kindergarten said in an interview that he was trying to protect the kids from virus infections, but he didn't know whether the pills were OTC.

The pills were purchased from a pharmacy, and the decision was made to give them to the children after a discussion with the kindergarten's health director. He admitted that they didn't notify the parents or the local education authorities.

A director at the local hospital's pharmacy said the pills are not OTC, and are not recommended for children. Taking the pills over a long period may lead to side effects such as sweating and loss of appetite, he added.

Nearly 100 angry parents came to kindergarten Tuesday and demanded the kindergarten reveal how many pills were given to the kids and offer solutions to potential health problems.

One parent said the kindergarten doesn't want kids to be absent, as they have to return fees for food if a child misses more than three days, and half of the total fees if more than 10 days are missed.

Huang Xiaohua, deputy secretary-general of city government, told parents Tuesday afternoon that physical examination will be arranged for all kids.

The kindergarten was suspended and pills have been sent for chemical examination.

Local educational, police and disease control departments have made investigation on it.