NOTE 4: INTRODUCTION - THE MISSION OF THE MEDICAL PROGRAM. ee ee Sane } | a BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY ] | ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC. Upton, Long Island, New York 11973 (516) 282. FITS 6667 Medical Department April 28, 1988 Henry Kohn, M.D. Rongelap Resssessment Project 1293 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, California 94709 Dear Dr. Kohn, Let me state briefly what the Brookhaven National Laboratory Marshall Islands Medical Program is and what it is not. The medical program is mandated by Congress under Public Law 95-134 to provide for diagnosis and treatment of radiationrelated disease among the populations of Rongelap and Utirik exposed to Bravo fallout radiation in 1954. The U.S. Department of Energy fulfills this mandate by contracting with the medical department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, to provide said care. The Department of Energy has permitted, by providing the necessary operating funds, an extension of the program to cover many aspects of health care unrelated to radiation exposure and to offer medical services to a great number of unexposed persons. No funds are made available for research because Congress did not intend the medical program to carry out research; clinical care of the injured parties is the program’s sole purpose. Therefore, all activities of the medical program have a clinical goal, that being improvement of the health of the population identified in PL 95-134. The ability to disseminate the capabilities of the medical program among the general Marshallese population represents the natural tendency of any health care organization. It is to the great credit of U.S. Department of Energy personnel responsible for carrying out the Congressional mandate that this expansion of coverage has been warmly supported. Sincerely yours, LOM, Btirues William H. Adams, M.D. Director, Marshall Islands Medical Program 56