Thanks to Danwei for this link.
First clip (woman): “As the child’s step-mother, you are going to need Sanlu milk powder. It is guaranteed to contain kidney stones. I know I can rely on it!”
Second clip (boy and mother): “We have never tasted milk like this before. The kidney stones really make a difference!”
Third clip (lady in red): “This little packet contains one of the greatest treasures known to make. It is packed full of kidney stones. Do you want to know how many? A lot! Sanlu congee. Hoping you die young!”
Fourth clip (babies and male voice): “When baby has kidney stones, mommy feels happy. Sanlu Kidney Stones Milk Powder. Contains the special added ingredient, DHA. The special kidney stones formula ensures that baby will grow up strong and fat. And he won’t urinate much, either!”
Doctors in Tibetan hospitals have seemed more willing than those elsewhere in China to talk to RFA in recent days about the effects of the milk powder crisis on local babies and infants. From recent interviews by RFA’s Tibetan service:
Health authorities in the Tibetan capital said 45 babies there had been confirmed to have kidney problems, a dozen of whom were in hospital.
“We are examining children affected by Sanlu baby milk powder,” a Tibetan doctor in the Lhasa municipal hospital said. “We started examining from Sept. 18. So far, we have examined about 1,000 children, and 12 of them were affected; stones were found in their kidneys.”
She said the children affected by Sanlu milk powder were aged 4 to 5.
“Examinations are being carried out from 9.00 a.m. through to 6.00 p.m. Most of the ones who came to hospital were Tibetans. There are Tibetans and also Chinese who were affected by the tainted milk,” the doctor said.
“Reduced urine and blood in their urine are the common symptoms.”
A Tibetan member of staff on the children’s ward at the Lhasa People’s Hospital described scenes of worried parents queuing with their children into the courtyard.
“The People’s Hospital is also examining babies with suspected problems caused by tainted milk,” she said.
“There are many children coming for medical check-ups. I even saw them lining up right into the courtyard,” she added.
Lhasa father Lona Nima said his son Tashi Nima was one of them.
“There was blood found in his urine in April. Then it was confirmed in July that he has kidney problems,” said Lona Nima, whose son used Sanlu powdered milk last year.
More English-language coverage here.
Filed under: China | Tagged: china_civilrights, china_civil_rights, china_milk, china_rights, china_unrest, East Asia, east_asia, governance, infant_formula, melamine, Newsdesk, sanlu |
Just for the record, CDC statistics estimate that foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year.