Almost 100 kids were left with these skin wounds after being given a traditional medicinal paste used to tackle a wide variety of ailments.
According to a spokesperson for the Jiangxi Provincial Children’s Hospital in the south-eastern Chinese province of Jiangxi, a total of 92 children out of 881 who were treated with the tradition ‘sanfu’ paste last week have experienced shocking side effects.
The traditional Chinese paste is believed to help people’s resistance to summer illnesses and various respiratory conditions such as asthma, allergies, flu, digestive problems, and diarrhoea, among others.
The children’s symptoms reportedly included skin swelling, blisters and severe itching.
The hospital has said that they will stop providing sanfu paste treatment after learning of the adverse reactions to the batch used last week.
The hospital’s sanfu paste treatment reportedly costs 400 RMB (47 GBP) per child and parents are demanding that they release information regarding its ingredients following the health scare.
Reports said that parents have also requested compensation and follow-up treatment for their children’s skin injuries.
The hospital started advertising the paste treatment on 24th June, according to local media.
In the promotion, children were advised to avoid cold and spicy foods as well as beef, mutton and seafood, according to reports.
The probe into the alleged toxic batch of sanfu paste continues.
In China, sanfu refers to the three 10-day periods that are predicted to be the hottest days of the year and, based on the principal of yin and yang, the traditional paste contains herbs that are ‘hot’ in nature.
Sanfu paste is widely used and promoted by various hospitals, but is loosely regulated by the authorities like many Chinese medicines, according to reports.
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Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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