A government panel said Monday it will add two diseases in certifying people with illnesses caused by radiation from the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in line with a series of court rulings.
Following the decision, the government plans to compile measures by the Aug. 6 and 9 anniversaries of the U.S. bombings to settle a series of suits by ailing hibakusha seeking certification and the benefits that go with it.
The panel of medical experts under the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry added liver dysfunction (chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis) and hypothyroidism to its list of diseases for recognizing hibakusha as suffering from radiation sickness.