Two blood collection stations were closed and a third fined for illegal operations, the Chinese Health Ministry announced yesterday. All three were found to be poorly managed and guilty of other illegal operations, including cross-regional blood collection.

One was located in Xupu County, Hunan Province, another was in Chongqing Municipality and the third was in Deqing County, Guangdong Province.

The ministry said the Xupu and Deqing stations were closed by local health authorities. Station heads were also removed from their posts.

The Chongqing blood center, whose problems were less serious, was fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,000) and those in charge received undisclosed administrative punishment.

In addition, the ministry said a joint teleconference would be held Thursday by the Health Ministry, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Food and Drug Administration as part of the nationwide crackdown on illegal blood collection.

In the mid-1990s, illegal blood collection caused the spread of AIDS among rural residents in certain regions of central China.

(Eastday.com May 27, 2004)