China's Ministry of Health and State Administration of Work Safety have agreed to upgrade the country's mine medical rescue center to part of the national emergency rescue system.

After the incorporation, the two authorities will both directly command the rescue center and dispatch first-aid experts when mine accidents and health emergencies happen.

Wang Xiaoming, director of the mine medical rescue center, told Xinhua on Friday that the center would expand its first-aid experts pool to about 1,500 members.

The government would also organize more professional trainings for the experts to deal with medical emergencies in other industries, said Wang.

The rescue center for mine accidents was set up in 2003 and now has 42 sub-centers, which have helped saving more than 2,500 lives in more than 5,400 mine accidents.

Mine accidents have been a major threat to work safety of China. The latest coal mine blast in Hegang City of northeast Heilongjiang Province killed 108 miners.

(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2009)