Health workers sacked after herbs cause adverse reactions

Jiangxi province's health authority has said incorrect ingredients in herbal patches prescribed by a local hospital recently led to adverse reactions in nearly 100 children.

The provincial health commission has sacked the workers responsible, without revealing their names or titles, according to a statement released Thursday.

About 880 children from July 12-13 used herbal patches from Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital in Nanchang aimed at strengthening their immune systems,

Of the 880, 92 reported itchiness, stinging sensations and blisters, the hospital said on Tuesday.

A provincial health commission investigation showed that medical workers at the hospital had swapped the standard ingredient of fresh ginger with mature ginger and increased alcohol content from 56 to 62 percent, with the aim of increasing the patches' therapeutic effects.

The commission added that the children's adverse reactions can be contained and treated.

As of Tuesday, all children affected by the incident had received medical care at their local hospital.

The herbal patch program has now been suspended and the hospital will conduct follow-up checks on young participants in the program, the commission said.

The provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine administration will increase oversight of the use of herbal patches in the region to ensure medical safety.

The herbal patch treatment used by the hospital is a Traditional Chinese Medicine therapy that involves plastering heated patches onto the skin for three days during hottest months in thr year.

The National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine said in a document released in 2013 that the therapy mainly targets chronic respiratory illnesses and other chronic conditions that worsen during winter.