Kindergarten Lead Poisoning Scandal Rocks Tianshui; Officials Under Inquiry
TIANSHUI, CHINA – A disturbing scandal involving lead poisoning at the Brownstone Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui has led to a sweeping investigation into hospital mismanagement, educational oversight failures, and alleged corruption among government officials.The incident, which saw children exposed to elevated lead levels, has prompted apologies from provincial authorities and sparked protests from concerned parents.
The Tianshui Second People’s Hospital and its laboratory department have been cited for “chaotic” management, with a failure to fully implement job responsibilities and laboratory quality control measures. Crucially, the report revealed that test results for two children were illegally altered to show substantially lower lead levels. this lack of proper oversight extended to the local education bureau, which allegedly “turned a blind eye” to the high-fee kindergarten operating without a proper licence. Moreover, the bureau had not conducted food safety inspections at any private kindergarten for two years.
The investigation has also uncovered potential corruption, with officials across multiple departments responsible for preschool education suspected of accepting benefits and bribes from the kindergarten’s major investor and associated individuals. In response, China’s top anti-corruption authorities have initiated a review and investigation into these government officials and launched a separate probe into the senior management of the hospital.
The children affected by the lead exposure have received treatment, with all but one discharged after initial care that reportedly reduced their lead levels by an average of 40%. The provincial party committee and government have issued a public apology for the “abnormal blood lead problem” and expressed deep regret to the children and their parents.
The report’s release coincided with parental protests outside the kindergarten,with online footage reportedly showing clashes between police and hundreds of demonstrators. The videos depict law enforcement using physical force, including batons, and parents confronting individuals in plain clothes, questioning their actions. Protesters also reportedly blocked roads as police attempted to escort the plain-clothed individuals away, demanding their identification.
