Kindergarten probed over pill claims

Kindergarten closed for drug scandal

YICHANG - A kindergarten in Central China's Hubei province is being investigated after parents claimed their children were illegally fed antiviral drugs, local authorities said.

The exposure came days after similar cases were reported in the northwestern city of Xi'an and the northeastern city of Jilin. The scandal has aroused public outrage and anxiety among the public, especially among parents of young children.

Many parents said their kids at the Xingang Kindergarten in Yiling district in the city of Yichang told them that they were regularly asked to eat "white, bitter-tasting tablets".

The parents said their children have developed symptoms of stomachache, irregular heart-beat, skin itching, vomiting and dizziness.

The president of the kindergarten has admitted to having fed the pupils an over-the-counter anti-fever drug and vitamins to boost their immunity and improve attendance

The kindergarten has been shut down and its president and baby care doctor are under investigation.

Local authorities offered physical examinations to nearly 200 kids at the kindergarten.