Bear ae
-4We had not been aware that so much time was involved in gathering food
for the families. We brought with us this time a gift of food of several
hundred pounds, including rice and sugar, so in view of the shortage of
food on the island, we turned over the food that had been brought for the
feast to the people to use more conservatively. However, in the future,
in view of this request, we shall attempt to serve prepared food to the
members of the families on the day that they come in for examinations.
5.
"We request of the A. E. C. that the B. N. L. team be either
replaced by, or accompanied by observers from the United * tions
or neutral nations of the world, because we do not believ:
che
reports of the B. N. L. team, or the reports of the English and
Japanese observers who are allies of the United States."
If after reading the reports of the Congress of Micronesia and the medical
observers the people of Rongelap wish to have another medical team we will
cooperate fully and help the Trust Territory to bring this about.
I do not
believe that after reading the reports of the medical observers you will
request any further medical observers to accompany the medical team.
6.
“Why was Shiko's thyroid operated on, since she was not exposed?
We have never heard of Marshalleas from other islands having any
trouble with their thyroids,"
All over the world a certain number of people have thyroid trouble which is
not related to radiation exposure.
This is true throughout the Marshall
Islands, We visited Likiep Atoll several years ago for examination of
thyroid troubles and we found that about 4 people out of every 100 had
trouble with their thyroid glands.
We find this is about the same number
of people who have thyroid troubles in the unexposed Rongelap people.
Therefore, when we find someone in the control population that needs a
thyroid operation, we recommend it to be done because
=? are treating the
control people the same as the exposed people.
The s; -:ial thyroid radiation ow "thyroid poison" was only present on Rongelap for a few weeks
after the fallout.
By the time the people moved back to the Island, there
was none of the thyroid poison left on the Island so none of the unexposed
could have received any radiation from this poison. We do not believe the
unexposed Rongelap people will get any radiation sickness from living on
Rongelap since there is practically no radiation left on the island.
7.
‘We would like a doctor to come to Rongelap to live, so that he
may treat our illness from day to day.
than just coming once a year."
This would be better
We will pass this request for a doctor to live on Rongelap to Dr. Iaman,
Head of the Health Services of the Trust Territory in Majuro.
It would
be impossible for us to furnish a doctor to live on Rongelap Since our
doctor must take care of the Utirik people and also the Rongelap people,
many of whom now live in Ebeye and Majuro.
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DOE ARCHIVES
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