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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (September 23) received notifications from the Hospital Authority (HA) and a private hospital respectively of two confirmed case of renal problems involving children living in the Mainland who had consumed melamine tainted milk products, a CHP spokesman said.
This is the third and fourth cases reported to the CHP so far.
The spokesman said the case reported by HA involved a 29-month-old boy who was born in Hong Kong but lives in the Mainland. He had history of consumption of milk products adulterated with melamine.
His father took him to out-patient clinic of Kwong Wah Hospital for examination on September 22. He was diagnosed of renal stone and is now under treatment. He is in stable condition.
The fourth case is a nine-year-old boy who was born in Hong Kong but has been living in the Mainland since he was two-year-old. He consumed melamine tainted milk products in the past four years and has no symptoms of renal problems.
His father took him to a private hospital on Hong Kong Island for examination on September 20. He was admitted for treatment after a renal stone was found in his kidney. He has been discharged and is now in stable condition.
Meanwhile, up to 1pm today, the CHP hotline 2125 1133 has received a total of 2 148 enquiries from members of the public.
"651 callers, claimed that they or their children had consumed milk products which were confirmed to have been adulterated with melamine, and 157 of the affected persons, 83 males and 74 females aged from 1 to 69, claimed to have symptoms of renal problems including dysuria and changes in the frequency of urination.
"They have been advised to seek medical attention as soon as possible to ascertain if they were suffered from renal disease," the spokesman said.
The remaining 1 497 callers had no history of exposure to melamine adulterated milk products and just asked for general health advice.
The CHP hotline operates from 9am to 5pm daily and more than 30 staff members of the Department of Health have been deployed to answer public enquiries. The hotline is catered for individuals who consumed milk products contaminated with melamine or those who experience renal symptoms.
Ends/Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:07
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