The South African Department of Health is to sign an agreement with the Chamber of Mines and National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) to launch a project benefiting former mineworkers suffering from occupational asbestos-related lung diseases. Under the program, workers will be able to seek compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses and loss of earnings. More occupational health centers will be established in public hospitals where ex-mineworkers can undergo medical examinations. The miners contracted various asbestos-related diseases when they were working in the mines twenty years ago. The diseases range from asbestosis to lung cancer and mesothelioma.
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