Thousands go untreated after drugs, equipment found useless

THE man behind a high-profile medical mission to China is being investigated after drugs and equipment allegedly worth US$3.5 million (HK$27 million) were found to be virtually useless.

Californian doctor Mel Alexander promised to treat thousands of sick and impoverished peasants in Sichuan province with his team of 250 doctors and medical specialists.

But he was labelled a conman this week after mission doctors unloaded the aid shipment to find most of the drugs had passed their use-by date, while equipment such as X-ray tables and foetal heart monitors was damaged beyond repair.

The doctors, who are poised to take legal action, also claim Dr Alexander swindled them out of thousands of dollars by charging unexplained registration and administration fees, and selling them medical kits donated free to the mission.

The claims have prompted the US-based missionary association which supplied the drugs to cut links with Dr Alexander while it investigates his mission.

'This man has conned the doctors, the agencies, the airlines and the Chinese Government,' said Kathleen Ellsworth, a spokeswoman for US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which helped fly the aid shipment into China for free.

'Alexander should be stopped before he does more damage.' Dr Alexander, announcing the mission at a press conference at Hong Kong's Mandarin Oriental Hotel early last month, claimed his Christian Medical Association (CMA) was sending 170 health workers and interpreters to Yibin, a town of 1.5 million people, at the invitation of the Chinese Government.