Rongelap
~ 90
Utirik
~ 160
Matched controls
~ 200
Bikinians
~ 140
TOTAL
~ 590
Depending upon circumstances, usually three of four trips are made each
year to these locations.
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Medica}
Department physicians coordinate and direct these programs. *One of these
trips consists of a large medical staff (usually 12), the majority of whom
are specialists from various leading U.S. medical centers and institutions.
At this time the annual physical examinations are given, including
hematological, urological, serological and other examinations as appropriate.
During these visits, "sick call" is held for al] residents wishing
medical attention; this usually results in up to several hundred persons
on each atoll seeing the physicians.
Included in "sick calls" are physical
examinations, blood tests, treatment if possible, and referral] to the
Trust Territory Health Services.
Other visits during the year are far more specialized examinations
{e.g., pediatrics, thyroid, dental, intestinal parasites, etc.) and include
BNL staff and appropriate specialists.
A resident physician assists in these
visits.
Because of the particular concern related to radiation effects on the
thyroid, a separate baseline comparison group has been established, consisting
of approximately 500 persons on Rongelap and Utirik and a limited number of
other atolls.
While this group does not receive complete annual physical
examinations, they do provide a baseline for a number of thyroid function