Streamlined arbitration in delayed wage cases to boost protection of migrant workers' rights

Children's tumors and blood diseases targeted

China will scale up measures to ensure that children with blood diseases and malignant tumors can receive timely and sufficient treatment and assistance, according to an official notice issued on Friday.

The notice, jointly issued by the National Health Commission and four other departments, said policies on drug supply and medical security will be refined for children with such diseases, including simplified procedures for reimbursement to reduce burdens on families.

The initiative will prioritize treatment of 10 common diseases where medical treatment has proved effective but is too expensive for many patients' families to afford, the notice said.

A network of designated hospitals will be established to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the diseases, with patients to receive treatment at hospitals in provincial capitals or municipalities, it added.

It also requires steps to expedite the approval of eligible anti-cancer drugs and drugs used by child patients and to explore the production of blood products using surplus plasma.