SARS, bird flu to be included as occupational diseases in HK
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-02-07 22:20

SARS and bird flu will be included as occupational diseases in Hong Kong following an amendment to Hong Kong's Employees Compensation Ordinance.

The move brings the total number of occupational diseases under the law to 48 in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's Labor Department said on Monday that the amendment provides better protection to employees, expediting the compensation process for those infected. Employees engaged in high-risk occupations involving close and frequent contact with SARS or Avian Influenza A infection will be covered.

Specified high SARS risk occupations include medical and nursing staff, medical research or laboratory workers, pathologists, and post-mortem or funeral services workers. Around 94,000 employees in Hong Kong are engaged in these occupations.

High bird flu risk occupations include handlers of poultry or birds or their uncooked remains or their untreated products, and research or laboratory workers. There are currently 5,000 people in these occupations in Hong Kong.

Close

Today's Top News     Top China News
New bird flu vaccine capable of prevention         Attacks in Iraq kill at least 30 people         NATO troops reach wreckage of Afghan plane         EU not to impose quota on Chinese textiles         Gov't ban on festival gifts in spotlight         Cities consider free premarital health checks	Gov't ban on festival gifts in spotlight       Contractors urged to pay migrant workers on time       Over 2,300 Taiwan compatriots back home from Shanghai       Former SOE boss on trial       Former UN chief praises China's reform progress       Number of pre-marital check-ups drops, birth defects on rise