BEIJING - The Chinese legislature during a bimonthly session Saturday adopted an amendment to the Law on Occupational Illness Prevention and Control.

The amendment was added after the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee conducted a third reading of the draft, which had been read previously in June and October.

The amendment highlights China's efforts to facilitate the procedures for helping those suffering from occupational illnesses and to protect the legal rights of workers, as the treatment for work-related illnesses has become a growing public concern.

China reported 27,000 plus new cases of work-related illness in 2010, according to health ministry figures.