7th death linked to antibiotic injection

As another death was linked to a hazardous antibiotic injection, local health authorities were yesterday ordered to start compiling daily reports on people experiencing adverse reactions to the drug.

Jing Shufang, 76, died after being injected with four bottles of clindamycin phosphate glucose. Her death brings the drug's potential death toll to seven.

The elderly woman, from Wuchang County in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, became short of breath and began vomiting as she was injected with the fourth bottle, on July 23, reported Harbin-based newspaper Life Daily. She died later the same day.

Jing was given clindamycin phosphate glucose to treat a wound which became infected after she underwent stomach surgery. It was the only medicine she was receiving.

News of her death came on the same day the Health Ministry issued a statement ordering local health departments to start making daily reports on deaths and adverse reactions to the drug, which was banned nationwide on August 4.

Starting from today, provincial health departments will have to report the progress of their investigations and recalls of the clindamycin phosphate glucose injection, produced by the Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co.

The daily reporting system was last used as China battled the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which swept the country in 2003.

So far seven deaths have been linked to clindamycin phosphate glucose.

Jing is the second potential victim reported in Harbin, following the death of a six-year-old girl on July 27.

The other five deaths were in Hebei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Hubei and Sichuan provinces.

The slow disclosure of deaths linked to the injection with some only being revealed more than a fortnight after the victims passed away has been attributed to reporting delays at local medical organizations.

"Medical organizations of all levels should report to senior health authorities as soon as possible after a case of adverse reaction to the drug," said the ministry's statement.

The ministry also ordered local departments to speed up their drive to bring the injection out of circulation, to avoid any new deaths.

"Local medical administrative organizations and their staff will be punished if new cases occur because of their failure to bring the injection out of circulation," said the statement.

The Anhui company has sold 3.18 million units of the injection to 26 provinces, regions and municipalities.

Recall work continued yesterday as health authorities said it would take some time before their investigations into the drug reached a conclusion.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the 11 deaths in May and June caused by a notorious bogus drug produced by the Qiqihar No 2 Pharmaceutical Company, the State Council yesterday approved a plan for nationwide regulation of the medical market.

The new controls will come into force in a year's time.