Post by dgriffin on Aug 21, 2009 22:30:14 GMT -5
Children with lead poisoning jam China hospital
August 21, 2009 -- Updated 2201 GMT (0601 HKT)
CNN
FENGXIANG COUNTY, China (CNN) -- At the Fengxiang County Hospital in Shaanxi Province, children are sleeping two to a bed. Cots line the hallways and hospital beds crowd offices to accommodate the ceaseless flow of new patients. In the last two weeks, so many children have been diagnosed with lead poisoning that there's barely enough room for everyone.
Villagers who live near the plant say almost all children have excessive lead levels in their blood.
Villagers who live near the plant say almost all children have excessive lead levels in their blood.
Their parents are outraged and confused.
"My toddler is a year and nine months old," says Pen Xiaoxia holding her daughter in the hospital ward. "Her hair isn't growing and she's sick all the time."
"My older daughter's nails stopped growing, and her hands are bigger than normal," Pen told CNN. "She doesn't listen to me and she's very rebellious. She can't remember what I told her and she always has a headache."
In total, more than 850 children in the area have tested positive for excessive levels of lead in their blood, according to government officials. All of them live in Madaokou, Sunjianantou, and other villages clustered around the Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Plant. Angry parents attacked the plant this week and police were called in to restore order.
MORE AT:
edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/08/21/china.lead.poisoning/index.html?iref=topnews