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Diagnostic changes will help workers

By Shan Juan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-01 10:03

The Ministry of Health (MOH) publicized on Friday new diagnostic criteria of pneumoconiosis in a bid to better protect workers against the major occupational hazard in China.

The new criteria, now open to public opinions and suggestions, will probably take effect on Nov 1, replacing the 2002 version.

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The new one highlights regular and continuous medical observation for potential pneumoconiosis patients who don't meet pneumoconiosis diagnostic standards through chest X-ray analysis but show other signs of the disease.

Confusing diagnoses including "no pneumoconiosis 0" and "no pneumoconiosis 0 plus" is removed in the new criteria.

Zhang Haichao, now a terminal pneumoconiosis patient in Henan province, was first misdiagnosed at a government-designated occupational disease facility as having "no pneumoconiosis 0 plus and TB infection," which barred him from free treatment and compensation.

The 28-year-old migrant worker began to make headlines in Chinese media after he underwent open-chest surgery in late June to prove his condition.

"The 'no pneumoconiosis 0 plus' actually means the person has a suspected case of the disease," Chen Zhiyuan, one of lead authors of the new criteria told China Daily on Friday.

"We abolished that vague jargon in the new criteria," he said.

"The new criteria is more in line with the international practice," said an information officer surnamed Zhang with the China Coal Miner Pneumoconiosis Treatment Foundation.

Nearly 640,000 people suffer from pneumoconiosis in the country today.