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SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 1986
$75 MILLION PAID OUT FROM FUND
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A TOTAL OF $75 MILLION HAS BEEN PAID OUT FROM THE PNEUMOCONIOSIS COMPENSATION FUND TO 1 388 PNEUMOCONIOTIC PERSONS OR THE IR DEPENDANTS SINCE THE FUND BEGAN OPERATION IN 1981, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SAID THIS WEEKEND.
UNDER THE PNEUMOCONIOSIS (COMPENSATION) ORDINANCE, ANY PERSON DIAGNOSED TO BE SUFFERING FROM PNEUMOCON IOSIS ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 1981 WOULD BE QUALIFIED FOR COMPENSATION FROM THE FUND, SUBJECT TO A RESIDENCE QUALIFICATION OF FIVE YEARS.
+IN FATAL CASES, COMPENSATION IS PAYABLE TO THE DEPENDANTS
OF THE DECEASED, HE ADDED.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE LEVEL OF COMPENSATION FOR PNEUMOCONIOSIS IS THE SAME AS THOSE UNDER THE EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ORDINANCE. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION FOR PERMANENT TOTAL INCAPACITY IS $341 000 AND THAT FOR DEATH IS $299 000.
HE EXPLAINED THAT PNEUMOCONIOSIS IS A COLLECTIVE TERM COVERING A GROUP OF LUNG DISEASES CAUSED BY INHALATION OF INDUSTRIAL DUSTS SUCH AS FREE SILICA OR ASBESTOS DUSTS.
+ THE DISEASE TAKES A LONG TIME TO DEVELOP AND IS DIFFICULT. TO DIAGNOSE, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY STAGES.+
+ONCE THE DISEASE IS PRESENT, THE CONDITION IS IRREVERSIBLE BUT REMOVAL FROM FURTHER EXPOSURE MAY SLOW DOWN DETERIORATION.+
THE SPOKESMAN SAID SILICOSIS AND ASBESTOSIS ARE THE ONLY TWO PNEUMOCONIOTIC DISEASES OF KNOWN CONCERN IN HONG KONG, AND BOTH ARE COVERED UNDER THE ORDINANCE.
+ SILICOSIS IS MAINLY FOUND IN WORKERS IN QUARRIES, MINING, TUNNELLING, CONSTRUCTION AND MASONRY WORK, WHILE ASBESTOSIS IS NORMALLY FOUND IN WORKERS IN AN INDUSTRY OR PROCESS IN WHICH ASBESTOS IS WIDELY USED FOR INSULATION OR FIREPROOFING PURPOSES.+
HE URGED WORKERS WHO SUSPECTED THEY MIGHT BE SUFFERING FROM THE DISEASE TO APPROACH THE DEPARTMENT'S PNEUMOCONIOSIS COMPENSATION UNIT AT CANTON ROAD GOVERNMENT OFFICES, 4/F., KOWLOON, FOR ARRANGEMENT OF X-RAY APPOINTMENT AND MEDICAL ASSESSMENT.
ANY ENQUIRY CONCERNING THE PNEUMOCONIOSIS COMPENSATION SCHEME CAN BE MADE TO THE UNIT ON 3-687668 AND 3-7213744.
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