Parents bring their children for assessment services on kidney stones at Princess Margaret Hospital yesterday. The worried parents said their children had consumed products found to contain melamine. Edmond Tang

More clinics and hospitals will provide assessment services for children under 12 who have or may have consumed melamine-tainted milk products and are showing kidney-stone symptoms.

The expanded services come after worried parents packed Princess Margaret Hospital yesterday, creating a chaotic scene.

Secretary for Food and Health York Chow said the Hospital Authority will activate 18 clinics today for the children. When necessary, doctors at these clinics will refer children to the special assessment centers at seven hospitals.

The arrangement was announced after hundreds of worried parents brought their children to Princess Margaret Hospital, which was the only institution offering assessment services on kidney stones in children before today.

"I apologize to parents who went to Princess Margaret Hospital. I admit that the arrangement is not satisfactory," Chow said. "We have underestimated public demand for the service. I have offered my apology, and I hope that the services can be provided in an orderly manner from now on."

The hospital provided medical consultations to 64 people who claimed to have consumed the tainted milk products. Only one victim, a 4-year-old boy, was admitted for treatment.

He was the second patient in Hong Kong with the problem since Saturday. The boy, born in Hong Kong but living on the mainland, consumed milk products tainted with melamine.

The remaining 63 cases, comprising 34 boys and 29 girls aged from 2 months to 17 years, were given clean bills of health.

The parents seeking the service at the hospital complained of mismanagement.

"No one here knows what to do or what they are doing," one of the angry mothers said. "The whole procedure is complicated. The children need to have their blood and urine tested and then go to have ultrasound assessment. ... We need to keep asking the nurse for information."

Another mother was frustrated when asked to come back to the hospital in two days.

"How can I make it? My child needs to attend school. I came here at 7 am today, and the hospital said I cannot have the test conducted," she said.

Hospital Authority Quality and Safety Director Leung Pak-yin said each of the 18 clinics can serve about 50 patients a day, while the capacity in each special assessment center is about 40 patients.

The 18 clinics will operate from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays, and from 9 am to 1 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

"The operation of the clinics and special assessment centers will continue until the whole incident has ended," Leung said.

The Centre for Health Protection hotline (2125 1133) had received 955 enquiries as of 3 pm yesterday. Among those, 384 were from callers claiming that they or their children had consumed tainted products, and 80 of them claimed to have symptoms of renal problems.

Meanwhile, Tuen Mun Hospital has received a child suspected of having kidney stones. The child, who is awaiting the results of an ultrasound, is in stable condition.

(HK Edition 09/23/2008 page1)