In a BBS forum which has more than 300,000 registered users, which is home of 120 million Chinese Hepatitis B Carriers, Suzhou is selected as one of the dangerous cities for HBV carriers. There is no doubt that if we have a top 10 list, Suzhou will be in. There is no doubt that if we have a top 3 list, Suzhou will be in as well.
One week ago, a HBV carrier wrote to the mayor of Suzhou to state the critical HBV discrimination in Suzhou, and request the government of Suzhou to implement the China Employment Promotion Law.
He got a letter from PuJunXing (浦俊兴), who is the vice chief of Disease Control and Prevention section of Suzhou Health Bureau. In this letter, we got astonished by some of his reply. Below is a quotation translated from Chinese. The original quotation written in Chinese is also posted following the English translation.
"The essential contradiction for the present is that the Hepatitis B carriers' rights to work should be protected effectively, but on the premise of labor surplus, we can't deprive entrepreneurs of their rights to choose employees who are healthier than Hepatitis B carriers."
“当前实质性的矛盾是：乙肝携带者的就业权利要切实保护，但企业在劳动力过剩的前提下，选择更健康劳动者的权利也无法拒绝。”
We are Hepatitis B carriers, but we are healthy. As the vice chief of Disease Control and Prevention section of Suzhou Health Bureau, he should has the common sense. Unfortunately, he has not. Maybe he has, he just conveniently forgot it that he can protect the rights of entrepreneurs instead of suffering Hepatitis B carriers. We want to cry, we want to laugh.
Weird? Can you imagine a senior official said that to us? My dear readers, can you tell me if this happened in your countries, what will you do?
Links:
People's Government of Suzhou:
http://www.suzhou.gov.cn/
English Edition:
http://www.suzhou.gov.cn/english/index.shtml
Where is Suzhou:
Search "China, Suzhou" in http://maps.google.com/maps
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Good News and Bad News
Good News
On August 30, 2007, the Chinese government passed a new employment law called the China Employment Promotion Law. The main objectives of the new legislation include advancing employment, establishing fair employment conditions, and banning employment discrimination. The law took effect on January 1, 2008.
Job applicants will be entitled to sue employers for discrimination under the new national Employment Promotion Law.
Bad News
Before the law took effect, I wondered how effectively the new law will be implemented and enforced. Now, nearly one month after the law took effect, the outcome is pessimistic. HBV discrimination remains the same.
Why the law turned out to be less effective than expected?
Some sly HR managers began to reject HBV carriers for other excuses instead of hepatitis B. Finding an excuse to reject someone is so easy and you can get as many reason as you can if you want to. When it comes to accusation, it's very difficult for HBVer job-seekers to get any proof to sue the employers. Note that plaintiff is required to provide proof in China. Therefore, the law can't be implemented effectively.
How to solve the problem?
Pre-employment blood test of employees for hepatitis B should not be carried out unless relevant for assessment of medical fitness for work.
As far as I know, in China, only in China, pre-employment blood test of employees for hepatitis B are forced, no matter what kind of job you apply even if you apply a position as a software developer or mechanic.
On August 30, 2007, the Chinese government passed a new employment law called the China Employment Promotion Law. The main objectives of the new legislation include advancing employment, establishing fair employment conditions, and banning employment discrimination. The law took effect on January 1, 2008.
Job applicants will be entitled to sue employers for discrimination under the new national Employment Promotion Law.
Bad News
Before the law took effect, I wondered how effectively the new law will be implemented and enforced. Now, nearly one month after the law took effect, the outcome is pessimistic. HBV discrimination remains the same.
Why the law turned out to be less effective than expected?
Some sly HR managers began to reject HBV carriers for other excuses instead of hepatitis B. Finding an excuse to reject someone is so easy and you can get as many reason as you can if you want to. When it comes to accusation, it's very difficult for HBVer job-seekers to get any proof to sue the employers. Note that plaintiff is required to provide proof in China. Therefore, the law can't be implemented effectively.
How to solve the problem?
Pre-employment blood test of employees for hepatitis B should not be carried out unless relevant for assessment of medical fitness for work.
As far as I know, in China, only in China, pre-employment blood test of employees for hepatitis B are forced, no matter what kind of job you apply even if you apply a position as a software developer or mechanic.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Can I share food or utensils with HBV carriers?
Can I share food or utensils with HBV carriers?
Of course, you can!
Let me show you some facts about HBV.
In Practice Guideline for Chronic Hepatitis B from The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD):
Children and adults who are HBsAg-positive:
* Can participate in all activities including contact sports
* Should not be excluded from daycare or school participation and should not be isolated from other children
* Can share food, utensils or kiss others
For more information, visit the links below:
https://www.aasld.org
https://www.aasld.org/eweb/docs/chronichep_B.pdf
How hepatitis B is transmitted?
1. Hepatitis B can be transmitted through unprotected (without using a condom) sex.
2. Occurs when blood from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected.
3. Pregnant women infected with hepatitis B can pass the virus on to their babies.
HBV is not spread through food or water or by casual contact. For example, you CANNOT get hepatitis B by hugging or dining with someone who is infected.
Recommendation: Getting vaccinated.
How long does hepatitis B vaccine protect you?
Recent studies indicate that immunologic memory remains intact for at least 23 years and confers protection against clinical illness and chronic HBV infection, even though anti-HBs levels might become low or decline below detectable levels.
From: US Department of Health and Human Services
For more information, click on the link below:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/faqb.htm
Of course, you can!
Let me show you some facts about HBV.
In Practice Guideline for Chronic Hepatitis B from The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD):
Children and adults who are HBsAg-positive:
* Can participate in all activities including contact sports
* Should not be excluded from daycare or school participation and should not be isolated from other children
* Can share food, utensils or kiss others
For more information, visit the links below:
https://www.aasld.org
https://www.aasld.org/eweb/docs/chronichep_B.pdf
How hepatitis B is transmitted?
1. Hepatitis B can be transmitted through unprotected (without using a condom) sex.
2. Occurs when blood from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected.
3. Pregnant women infected with hepatitis B can pass the virus on to their babies.
HBV is not spread through food or water or by casual contact. For example, you CANNOT get hepatitis B by hugging or dining with someone who is infected.
Recommendation: Getting vaccinated.
How long does hepatitis B vaccine protect you?
Recent studies indicate that immunologic memory remains intact for at least 23 years and confers protection against clinical illness and chronic HBV infection, even though anti-HBs levels might become low or decline below detectable levels.
From: US Department of Health and Human Services
For more information, click on the link below:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/faqb.htm
The Brief Fact of HBV Discrimination in China
With the efforts of many HBVers right fighters, discrimination in kindergarten, school and college became fewer, though still exist. Several days ago, it was heard a child HBV carrier was refused entry into a kindergarten, which is a private kindergarten.
The most difficult problem every HBV carrier has to face is to get a job and keep it.
The key point is that before you becoming a regular staff, you must take a physical examination, which includes a blood test. If you were found out to be a HBV carrier, you'll be rejected to get the job, even if you are a healthy carrier, whose liver function is normal. For some people who already got a job will be fired if he or she was found out to be a HBV carrier, no matter what kind of job they have even if they are a software developer or mechanic. Crazy! Don't you think so?
Those who as HBV carriers should be protected by law in many other countries turned out to be deprived of right to work in China. Let me show you some example, below are some snippets in "Code of practice on the Management of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis at workplaces" from Australian Department of Consumer and Employment Protection.
* Pre-employment medical screening of employees for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B or hepatitis C should not be carried out unless relevant for assessment of medical fitness for work.
* Any information pertaining to an individual's HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B or hepatitis C status should be kept confidential.
* Unless the work poses a danger to the employee, other employees or the public, the employer need not be informed that an employee is infected. The employer is not obliged to inform anyone should they become aware that an employee is infected.
Now it's almost 11:30 PM in China, let's call it a day. I'll tell you more details in the later posts. Thanks for your support.
The reason why I create this blog.
"First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. " -- Gandhi
This is not my first blog, but my first English blog. In my Chinese blog, I never mentioned that I'm a HBV carrier. Now, I am writing my first post as one of 120 million HBV carriers in China. At the moment, I have a feeling that I was chose by fate to setup an English blog, which will be focusing on HBV discrimination in China. For so many years, I've kept silence and done nothing for the course of eliminating HBV discrimination in China. Now I come to realize that every single one of HBV carriers must fight for our due rights.
About Me
Work: I am now out of work and I hope I'm just between jobs.
Sex: Male
Age: Almost 30 years old
Major: B.A. of Computer Science
Location: Everywhere in China. For security reason, I've edited the entry to conceal myself.
My HBV history: I first found out I was a HBV carrier when I was about 11 years old. And my liver function is normal, that is, no need to take any treatment, just to take a regular physical examination twice a year. More accurately, I am healthy and I suffered a lot spiritually because of HBV discrimination in China instead of physically.
Why i choose blogspot.com to host my blog?
As a matter of fact, I have no other choice. Censorship in China is rampant. For some security reason, I have to conceal myself, or someone unexpected will knock my door and invite me to their place to have a thorough talk. You know what I mean. Though they won't put me to prison, the blog won't be updated any more without any doubt.
If I chose a Chinese blogging service provider, my post will be censored and some of my post will be deleted mysteriously. If you want to know more about censorship in China, you may search The Great Firewall in Google to get details of the toppest filtering system in the world. Unfortunately, you can find all cutting-edge filtering technology in China. Wow, how excited! And I have to tell you another fact that people in China can't read this blog for blogspot.com has been banned for so long, long enough to forget the accurate date, and I have to use proxy to access this blog too.
This is not my first blog, but my first English blog. In my Chinese blog, I never mentioned that I'm a HBV carrier. Now, I am writing my first post as one of 120 million HBV carriers in China. At the moment, I have a feeling that I was chose by fate to setup an English blog, which will be focusing on HBV discrimination in China. For so many years, I've kept silence and done nothing for the course of eliminating HBV discrimination in China. Now I come to realize that every single one of HBV carriers must fight for our due rights.
About Me
Work: I am now out of work and I hope I'm just between jobs.
Sex: Male
Age: Almost 30 years old
Major: B.A. of Computer Science
Location: Everywhere in China. For security reason, I've edited the entry to conceal myself.
My HBV history: I first found out I was a HBV carrier when I was about 11 years old. And my liver function is normal, that is, no need to take any treatment, just to take a regular physical examination twice a year. More accurately, I am healthy and I suffered a lot spiritually because of HBV discrimination in China instead of physically.
Why i choose blogspot.com to host my blog?
As a matter of fact, I have no other choice. Censorship in China is rampant. For some security reason, I have to conceal myself, or someone unexpected will knock my door and invite me to their place to have a thorough talk. You know what I mean. Though they won't put me to prison, the blog won't be updated any more without any doubt.
If I chose a Chinese blogging service provider, my post will be censored and some of my post will be deleted mysteriously. If you want to know more about censorship in China, you may search The Great Firewall in Google to get details of the toppest filtering system in the world. Unfortunately, you can find all cutting-edge filtering technology in China. Wow, how excited! And I have to tell you another fact that people in China can't read this blog for blogspot.com has been banned for so long, long enough to forget the accurate date, and I have to use proxy to access this blog too.
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