The Chinese government is launching a program to
provide basic occupational health services for migrant workers this year.
The pilot scheme in 20 counties over 10 provinces comes as the Ministry of
Health prepares to conduct a survey on the occupational health of migrant
workers, said a ministry official Monday.
The ministry has listed the study as a priority, said Su Zhi, deputy head of
the Division of Supervision under the ministry.
The basic occupational health services would be paid for by employers under
existing employment laws, but the ministry has asked the State Council to
establish a fund to help cover the costs of migrant workers' healthcare in cases
of occupational illness and injury.
The number of migrant workers is estimated at 120 million and the workforce
in rural enterprises amounts to 80 million, according to a report released by
the State Council.
Most migrant workers in cities and workers in rural enterprises were employed
in arduous and harmful jobs, but had no medical insurance and little awareness
of safety issues, making them a high-risk group of occupational diseases, said
Li Dehong, an expert with the China Center for Disease Control.
Moreover, 90 percent of enterprises were small or medium-sized and had little
awareness of occupational hazards and provided few safety measures for their
staff, said Health Vice-Minister Chen Xiaohong.
The ministry would set up a pilot network to improve reporting and monitoring
of occupational diseases as the existing reporting system was incomplete, said
Su Zhi.
Health files should be set up at migrant workers' hometowns, to which they
usually returned during the traditional new year period, he said.
Last year, the ministry received 12,212 reports of occupational diseases,
75.11 percent of which were pneumoconiosis, a chronic disease of the lungs
resulting from long-term inhalation of dust and primarily affecting miners,
sandblasters and metal grinders.
In addition, more than 200 cases of acute occupational poisoning occurred
every year, affecting hundreds of people and causing millions of yuan in
economic losses, said Chen Xiaohong.
The Ministry of Health and the State Administration of Work Safety would
jointly improve monitoring of occupational disease control and educate employers
on the law and social responsibility, he said.
The two departments and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions jointly
awarded 56 enterprises with the accolade of "State model enterprise on
occupational health" on Monday. They were judged on strict standards based on
existing guidelines and regulations, funding, working conditions and equipment,
and provision of health insurance for their workers.
The enterprises are expected to share and publicize their experience with
other enterprises in promoting occupational health.