China's Health Ministry pledged free health care for all babies sickened after drinking contaminated formula. It will also send medical experts to local clinics to assist with treatments.

The ministry organized a 34 person team, composed of five pediatricians, seven urologists, 10 nephrologists, or kidney specialists, and 12 ultrasonographers.

The team is responsible for providing technical guidance for diagnosing and treating babies with kidney stones.

So far, more than 1,200 babies have fallen ill after drinking tainted milk powder.

"With scientific, timely and effective treatment, we will try our best to avoid further deaths," Vice Health Minister Ma Xiaowei said at a conference here on Tuesday.

All medical agencies should be prepared to treat babies for kidney stones as more cases could be uncovered, added Ma.

He also ordered all provincial health departments to report new cases of sick babies to the ministry on daily basis.

The State Council, China's cabinet, ordered free treatment for all sick babies and said they would be given priority in all medical institutions.

"Hospitals should try their best to meet rising demands for diagnosis and treatment because the number of parents who take their children for medical check-ups could rise drastically in the future," Ma told health, finance and food safety officials throughout the nation via teleconference.

Ma said the health ministry had published two treatment guidelines and would send more experienced pediatricians to help grassroots-level doctors uncover suspect cases.

All infants who had been fed with contaminated milk powder for between three and six months in the past year and have shown symptoms of kidney stones need treatment immediately, added Ma.

He also asked medics to help parents avoid "unnecessary panic" by raising public awareness of food safety and providing adequate knowledge of the illness.

An estimated 1,253 babies developed kidney stones after drinking tainted milk powder produced by China's dairy giant, Sanlu Group. Two babies died and more than 50 are in a serious condition.

The kidney stones are caused by melamine, a chemical banned in the food industry. Melamine is rich in nitrogen and registers high protein levels. Investigators say some milk dealers allegedly added the chemical to raw milk so that the protein content appeared higher than it actually was.

So far, police have made four arrests.

Sanlu has recalled its products and has apologized to the public for its contaminated milk powder.

In the meantime, the Chinese government has launched a multi-department investigation into the scandal.

(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2008)