Parents of sick kids reject China's payout plan
They say funds won't cover enough victims
Like thousands of parents in China, Yu Lufang has a child who got sick from drinking formula tainted with an industrial chemical. Most youngsters recovered, but the anger remains.
Hundreds of affected parents, including Yu, have banded together to reject a government compensation plan they say was drawn up without their input and doesn't cover enough victims.
The government and Chinese dairy companies had hoped the nationwide scheme would ease tensions over the scandal. Instead, it has given embittered and geographically scattered parents a common cause.
The Health Ministry says 296,000 babies were sickened with kidney stones and other problems after consuming milk powder tainted with melamine, a chemical usually used to make plastics and fertilizers. When ingested in large amounts, it can cause kidney stones and kidney failure.
Six deaths have been linked to the contamination.
The government's plan calls for families whose children died to receive 200,000 yuan ($29,000), while others would receive 30,000 yuan ($4,380) for serious cases of kidney stones and 2,000 yuan ($290) for less severe cases.
The letter says compensation should be based on appraisals of individual cases and not just on broad categories.
Other demands include free medical treatment for babies still recovering, and the lifting of an age limit of 3 for children eligible for free treatment.
Zhao, whose son has recovered, said the group will continue to gather signatures until Thursday and then submit its letter to the Health Ministry and China's Dairy Industry Association.
Parents from provinces in the far south and in the northeast, as well as from cities like Beijing and Shanghai already have signed.
"As consumers, we suffered great injury, and the expenses and all the losses incurred in the process of getting treatment for our sick children should be paid for by the manufacturing companies," it reads.
The letter is the latest confrontation between affected families and the government over the tainted formula.
Many parents feel the government breached their trust in certifying milk powder as safe that later led to illnesses or deaths.
Comments
- New designation for Clinton Museum 5:54 p.m.
- Eisenhower home oozes charm 5:54 p.m.
- RDP brings family-oriented 'Joyride II' 5:54 p.m.
- Sculptor turns scrap metal into art 5:54 p.m.
- Art canvas 5:54 p.m.
- Galleries 5:54 p.m.
- BYU exhibit evokes identity questions 5:54 p.m.
- Literary footnotes 5:54 p.m.
- Bookmarks 5:54 p.m.
- Town struggles with 'In Cold Blood' 5:54 p.m.
- Apostle's wife felt comfort in attack
- Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
- Short-handed Jazz fly past Sixers
- D-Will home for daughter
- Bench proves fruitful for Y.
- Utes excited for 'dream' game
- Born of water and the spirit
- Snowstorm hits Utah; 1 dead in crash
- GameDay in Fort Worth
- Woods Cross refinery to shut down
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
354 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
199 - Senators want food tax restored
164 - Will state consider gay rights law?
148 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
129 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
124 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
113 - No. 22 BYU holds off pesky Lobos
108 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
105
Maybe someone out there can help me understand how raising the state...
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
The idea that anybody else but you is capable of interpreting the...
I miss the days with Malone, Stockton and Hornacek, those guys were injured,...
Not a pretty win, but way to and yet another win BYU. I love this team....
My prayers go to this family for the loss of their fine young son. God bless...
Seriously if you want to hear the arguments of Progressives it won't be on...
Don't go out of your way or anything on reporting here. Four sentences is all...
re: So Sweet The REAL joy has returned. Utah has just tied it with TCU,...
AF, WYO, and CSU are all ranked higher than the pathetic NM.
Even at the time of the Colonies, White Christian men who owned property were...
BYU will most likely drop out of the the top 25 with this Junior high school...



You can be the first to comment on this story.