An urgent circular ordering that a medicine administered by injection and used to combat bacterial infections be withdrawn from use following the death of a patient being treated with the drug has been issued by the Chinese Ministry of Health.

A six-year-old girl from Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, reportedly died after receiving a dose of the antibiotic called clindamycin phosphate glucose.

The girl, identified as Liu Sichen, had an intravenous injection at about 2 PM on July 24 for what appeared to be a common cold but she developed further symptoms including a high fever within 20 minutes, according to Sun Pengli, director of the Pharmaceuticals Side Effects Monitoring Center of Harbin City on Friday.

The injection given to the youngster is known to have been produced by Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co, a subsidiary of Shanghai Worldbest Co Ltd., and carried the batch number 06062602.

The patient was transferred to the State Farm General Hospital of Heilongjiang Province for further medical assistance but she remained in a coma. She was transferred again to the No.2 Hospital of the Harbin Medical Sciences University but died on the night of July 24 despite the efforts of medical staff. 

"Based on all the information we've gathered, a preliminary judgment can be made that the girl died from the injection of clindamycin phosphate glucose produced by the Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co," said Sun Pengli.

The Ministry of Health has ordered that all batches of the drug produced in the past two months by the firm should immediately be suspended from use. 

An increasing number of patients from provinces and regions including Qinghai, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang and Shandong have complained about becoming unwell after having the injection. Their symptoms have ranged from chest problems, kidney pains, bellyache, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting 

Fake or bad drugs have killed many people in China in recent years and raised questions about drug safety. The government recently fined and revoked the license of the Qiqihar No.2 Pharmaceutical Co Ltd when a drug they manufactured to treat gastric disorders killed 11 people and actually turned out to be bogus.

While ordering that an inventory be made of any stockpile of the bacterial injections and all unused doses be sealed, the ministry circular also asked medical and health organizations not to purchase anymore of the medicine. 

The circular also told medical organizations to arrange for medical staff to closely monitor patients who've had the injections.

(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2006)