Hospital staff responsible for an east China dialysis clinic in which 19 renal patients are believed to have contracted hepatitis C have been disciplined, said a local official Friday.

Liu Zhengwang, spokesman for the government of Huoshan County, Anhui Province, said an investigation group aided by experts from the Ministry of Health and the provincial health bureau had determined the infections occurred at the Houshan County Hospital.

He said Ye Yijun, director of the county hospital, had been removed from his post. Two deputy hospital heads and responsible nurses and staff had received administrative penalties.

Liu said the hospital did not have separate dialysis rooms for infected patients, and poor management and disinfection measures had contributed to cross infections.

The investigation showed nine of the 28 infected had contracted hepatitis C before receiving dialysis.

Liu said the county government closed the hospital's dialysis clinic on Wednesday for a 10-day overhaul, during which health experts would help staff to redesign the clinic, regulate systematic work procedures and train doctors and nurses.

The county government has promised infected patients free treatment and health checks for their family members. Fifty-seven renal patients in the hospital were temporarily transferred to receive dialysis in city or provincial-level hospitals, he said.

Cheng Haijun, a 28-year-old dialysis patient, said he had been aware of the county hospital's lack of medical resources, but he could afford treatment at only that hospital.

"I should take dialysis three times a week, but I have reduced it as much as possible, because it has cost all my family savings. I pay 350 yuan for each dialysis in the county hospital, but it costs more than 400 yuan in big hospitals," he said.

He said all the patients shared four dialysis machines in the open hall of the clinic.

Zhu Yunwu, deputy head of the hospital, said Wednesday that the hospital had just expanded the dialysis room by 160 square meters and added four new dialysis machines in order to separate the patients and reduce the infection rate.

"Systematic management and better surveillance can cut the infection rate, but it's difficult to guarantee a zero rate of infection in dialysis, when blood passes through the machine to remove toxic substances," he said.