AOLETO
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United States Department of the Interior
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
Mr. Jd. Jd. Kaufmann
Regional Vice President
HAR 29 49795
Fellowship of Christian
Ministries
3136 Kaimuki Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
Dear Mr. Kaufmann:
Under Secretary Joseph has asked me to thank you for your letter of
March 18, 1979, which expressed concern that only American doctors
employed by the Brookhaven National Laboratory provide medical followup
and care to the people of Rongelap and Utirik who were subject to
accidental radiation fallout in 1954,
The concern of your organization is appreciated.
There is, though,
considerable misunderstanding about the medical followup program which has
been in effect for many years. The Department of Energy and its predecessors (ERDA, AEC) contracted with Brookhaven National Laboratory,
Associated Universities, Inc,, to carry out the medical followup work.
In actuality, the medical staff which accompanies the Brookhaven Medical
surveys usually is made up of outstanding experts from universities and
hospitals from all over the United States, Other experts are drawn from
the National Institutes of Health and the U.S, Public Health Service.
From time to time, leading medical radiation experts from abroad have
participated in the medical surveys. Amongst these experts have been
Dr. Haruo Ezaki, M.,D,, Hiroshima University, School of Medicine, Hiroshima,
Japan; Dr. Toshyuki Kumatori, M.D,., National Institutes of Radiological
Sciences, Chibo-Shi, Japan; and Dr. C. Hayakawa, M.D., of Tokyo, Japan.
Dr. E. Eric
Pochin, M,D,, University College Hospital Medical School,
London, England, also has participated in the program. There also has been
close contact with organizations such as the Radiation Effects Research
Foundation in Japan and direct relationships with staff members such as
Dr. G, Darling, Dr, H, Maki, and Dr. I. Nagai.
Several years ago, in order to provide followup between the quarterly and
annual surveys, a resident medical officer for the Rongelap and Utirik
people was stationed at Kwajalein,
There have been several incumbents in
that post, Not all incumbents may have the type of personality that meshed
well with the Marshallese way of life. This, at times may have resulted in
minor complaints, but these all appear to have been settled satisfactorily.
cc:
j{Or, Walter Weyzen, DOE
900954