China's government plans to establish centers to diagnose occupational diseases in all prefecture-level cities by the end of the year, Vice Minister of Health Chen Xiaohong said Tuesday.

Local governments at county level should set up occupational disease check-up institutions, Chen told a national meeting on food safety and health inspection in Beijing.

China has fewer than 500 medical institutions capable of diagnosing occupational diseases, 2,272 check-up institutions and 12 provincial-level independent prevention and control institutions for occupational diseases on the mainland.

Chen urged the provincial-level administrations without independent institutions to establish occupational disease centers to strengthen technical expertise and disease prevention training.