China Monday ordered the suspension of the sales and use of blood dialyzers imported from Sweden with the trade mark Althane.
A circular issued by the State Drug Administration (SDA) has ordered its regional offices to comb their local markets and hospitals for the said products, and report the results to the administration.
The decision by the SDA was made upon receiving a report from the Baxter China Company.
Several models of the blood dialyzers made in a Swedish plant of Baxter corporation are suspected of being responsible for deaths of patients in several countries. So far, only one model of the machine, model AF-150, has been sold to China.
The firm has decided to recall the controversial products.
(People's Daily November 20, 2001)
