Mesothelioma

Those who have passed away before gaining qualification reached 327 as of the end of January, accounting for 20 percent of all applicants.

Only 143 asbestos-linked disease victims or bereaved families have been recognized as eligible for the benefits.

The rest of the applicants, especially those with Akihiko Kataoka, deputy head of the secretariat of the Kansai Occupational & Health Center, a nongovernmental organization assisting asbestos-related disease patients, said, "The ERCA should pay more attention to the frequency of asbestos exposure of the applicants, instead of placing lopsidedly heavy significance on screening criteria based on medical examinations." "Should the situation be left as it is, instances of applicants dying before obtaining official recognition eligibility for the benefits will keep increasing," he said.

=== Scope of relief too narrow Another major problem with the relief law is its limitation of illnesses covered by relief measures to two diseases: Other diseases that are belie...

Read more...