【China Daily】Miners get help in fight against disease
Operation to cure black lung offers new hope, reports He Na in Beidaihe.
Mid-April is still low season for Beidaihe in
However, there's plenty of activity at the Sanatorium of Chinese Coal Miners, where people keep coming and going. However, these aren't tourists, but patients seeking treatment at the
It's the first hospital in
Workers exposed to dust in coal mines, potteries and gemstone factories run an increased risk of contracting the disease, which has a high fatality rate. Workers inhale large quantities of ash that remain in the lungs and can cause extensive scarring and fibrosis many years later.
The main symptom of the disease, which is divided into three distinct stages, is chronic shortness of breath. "There's no effective treatment, so far. For first and second-stage patients, whole-lung lavage is the best approach. But for terminal patients, we have no treatment because the lingering effects lead to inflammation and other complications," said Duan Jianyong, deputy director of the black-lung division of the center.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that more than 653,000 people had the disease at the end of 2009, but NGOs and experts in the field said the true figure is likely to be much higher, because most workers in private mines don't undergo regular physical checks.
Although the operations are carried out six days a week, more than 100 people are still awaiting treatment. Zhang Zhenguo, the director, said that the center has carried out more than 7,000 operations since 1991. Last year 1,059 patients were treated.
In recent years, mining accidents have provoked great public concern in
Many patients travel long distances to attend the center. Ma Weishan, 41, from Minhe county in
Ma hasn't been able to work since he was diagnosed. As the main breadwinner and the father of two children, his condition has brought hardship to the family. Ma and the other villagers diagnosed with black lung traveled to
The majority of the workers have received no treatment and some of those with third-stage black lung have now died. "In my elderly neighbor's home, their three sons all died last year. I will never forget the scene when the youngest, only in his early 30s, stopped breathing. He was kneeling at the time, because people with this condition can't breathe if they lie down and find more relief if they kneel. If I don't receive treatment, I'll be next," he said.
Ma borrowed about 20,000 yuan ($3,170) from relatives and headed to Beidaihe for the operation.
The procedure
Although the doctor ordered Ma to rest before the operation, he was too excited to sleep, "I've been longing for the operation for six years, I really want to see what's in my lungs," he said.
A cupboard in front of the operating room was packed with bottles containing different colored fluids, all drainage samples. The doctors don't need to read the labels, the color of the fluid means they can easily assess a patient's work environment.
Ma's operation began at 8 am and the only sound in the operating room was that of a nurse pouring saline solution into a transfusion bottle. On one side of the table, 12,000 milliliters of saline flowed through a catheter into one of Ma's lungs. On the other side, a grayish-brown fluid drained slowly through a tube. Eventually, the muddy fluid filled 24 glass bottles, each with a capacity of 500ml.
Meanwhile, Huang Zongbin, 47, was busy packing for his departure. "The feeling of breathing easily is really good. I feel as though a heavy stone that had long been lying on my chest has been removed," he grinned.
Huang is a migrant worker from a village in Shannxi province and has worked in a large private gold mine since 1995. He was unlucky to contract black lung disease, because he mines gold not coal. However, he's lucky when compared with workers in other private mines who are mostly unable to claim compensation or injury insurance, because his employer agreed to pay some of the 10,000 yuan fee for his treatment.
Compensation battle
Seeking maximum profits, private mine owners are reluctant to pay for improvements in working conditions or provide health checks for workers. "When we drilled holes, dust filled the tunnel. Even people standing almost face-to-face could not see each other. The dust mingles with the air, which you have to inhale, of course, or you can't breathe," said Yang Yaoming, who worked at a private coal mine in
"I've worked on some cases involving patients with black lung disease and found that they have huge difficulty protecting their rights," said Han Shichun, a senior labor arbitration lawyer at the Beijing Yilian Labor Law Aid and
According to the law on the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases, a patient applying for work-injury insurance from an employer must first obtain proof that the illness was contracted during his period of employment, then he must obtain a diagnosis from the occupational disease diagnosis institute of the labor authorities.
"However, many patients have died without receiving compensation and the owners of private mines often disappear or have found various excuses to refuse to pay compensation," said Han. "It is urgent that we educate workers in the law and provide relevant knowledge to improve their legal awareness and protect their rights. Also, we must make the penalties for violations much harsher, especially in private mines," said Han.
Service problems
According to Zhu Qishang, director of the black lung disease center at No 4 hospital affiliated to
"A dedicated black lung treatment fund needs to be established quickly, because occupational diseases often occur in groups, and solving the problem is vital for social stability," she said.
In addition, there is a dearth of experienced medical staff, so the disease is often mistaken for tuberculosis. The income and welfare provisions for medical staff working with occupational diseases are very low and need to rise, she added.
Progress and hope
A revised version of the law on the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases came into effect on Dec 31. It states that the State Administration of Work Safety is responsible for the management of the monitoring of workplace dust levels, the ministry of health is in charge of diagnosis and treatment, and the labor department evaluates the severity of the condition and the level of compensation.
Zhang Zhenguo said it's a big step forward in the prevention and treatment of occupational illnesses, because it not only defines the responsibilities of each department, but has simplified the diagnosis procedures, giving patients easier access to treatment.
He said that if the cost of the lung-lavage operation could be fully covered through insurance, less-wealthy patients would be the main beneficiaries.
"Black lung disease is a social problem, it needs attention and help from all walks of society. I hope more people will join us to save more families," he said.
原文链接:http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2012-04/25/content_15132274.htm
(实习编辑:蒋晓玥)