The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on April 16 that it will upgrade its service network for the prevention and treatment of occupational diseases in line with a newly amended law.

China's top legislature adopted an amendment to the Law on Occupational Illness Prevention and Control on December 31, 2011, in order to better protect the legal rights of workers.

The amendment specifically requires governments at all levels to strengthen their ability to prevent and control work-related illnesses, as well as establish a comprehensive service system.

However, 44 percent of provincial jurisdictions have yet to comply with the initiative, according to a circular published recently on the ministry's website.

It also noted that 27 percent of prefecture-level regions lack the ability to diagnose and verify occupational diseases, while 43 percent of all counties cannot provide adequate occupational health evaluations.

In response, the MOH called for more financial and policy support from governments at multiple levels. China currently has 120 dedicated stations across the country to monitor occupational diseases. However, the data collected from the stations are often incomplete or untimely, the circular said.