New diagnosis policies rolled out in China, health official states

China has rolled out several policies to facilitate the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis patients and bolster supportive policies for them, a health official reported on Thursday.

Pneumoconiosis is a lung-damaging condition caused by longtime inhaling of dust. The disease accounted for about 90 percent of occupational diseases reported in the country, according to the National Health Commission.

Wang Jiandong, deputy director of the commission's occupational health department, said that diagnosis of pneumoconiosis as an occupational illness can be challenging because related symptoms tend to emerge a decade, or even three decades after an employee was exposed to dust hazards. 

As a result, many migrant workers find it difficult to certify their labor relationship with employers, or their employers have disappeared altogether after so many years.

While adiagnosis of the condition itself is easily obtained at medical institutions, some patients are unable to provide documents that show a link between the disease and their job, which means they won't be able to access benefits and compensations dedicated to occupational disease patients.

To resolve the problem, Wang said that the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, as well as the National Health Commission, have made revisions to a law on occupational disease and related regulations to streamline diagnosis and identification procedures.

"Employers should assume the principal responsibility for providing documents related to diagnosis of occupational disease, and employees only need to provide materials that can prove labor relation such as payrolls or work cards," he said.

To ensure the treatment of patients who cannot find the culprit behind their disease, he said that China has offered them other assistance policies.

"The commission has also helped set up 829 pneumoconiosis rehabilitation facilities in 28 provincial-level regions to offer free and convenient rehabilitation services.

He said that China will continue to formulate assistance and supportive policies for patients while reining in the number of new cases.