Call to lift rules on lung disease

Restrictions on the diagnosis of an occupational lung disease that affects Chinese laborers should be relaxed to ensure patients get effective treatment, a State legislator has said ahead of the annual two sessions.

Pneumoconiosis is caused by the inhalation of dust and affects industrial and agricultural workers. Among coal miners, the condition is often called black lung.

China's current regulations state patients who suspect they have the condition must receive a diagnosis from an institute certified to handle occupational diseases, such as a center for disease control, before receiving treatment.