eee ae \ —, . *. es~s "eee veh et SeateetH va Task rh EDeT ae oc Le” w. oe vs ed , ems 4 «) ‘el I 9 1 BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES. Inc. UPTON. L.t. N.Y. 11973 REFER: TEL. AREA CODE S16 YAPHANK 44-6262 April 28, 1970 Dr. John R. Totter,Director Division of Biology and Medicine U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Washington, D.C, Dear John: US DOE ARCHIVES 326 US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION RG CollectionDRA - FP FILES ’Box £42 JOB : 65% & Foldey~A£A-) Je Mors I would like to call to your attention certain difficulties concerning fulfillment of our responsibilities in the special medical surveillance of the Marshallese who were exposed to radioactive fallout in 1954. With the recent development of thyroid abnormalities and growth retardation ~/ 42 in children, more comprehensive examinations and specialized treatments are required and our responsibilities have increased, The exposed people — obviously deserve the best medical care that can be given under the circumstances and I am sure that you recognize our vulnerability and that of the AEC to criticism if every effort is not made to fulfill this objective, The difficulties center largely around the interim medical surveillance between our annual surveys. During our annual visits we carry out as complete medical examinations as is possible under field conditions and treat or recommend treatment as indicated to both the exposed and the unexposed comparison populations under our surveillance. As you know the Trust Territory has the responsibility of the general medical care of these people. During the long interval between our surveys no specialized surveillance has been possible. Only a health aid is available in the outlying islands such as Rongelap and Utirik and his abilities are confined largely to first aid type of treatment. Every two to three months a cargo ship comes by and while copra is being loaded and goods traded a medical group, usually headed by a Marshallese practitioner, sees the sick, replenishes dispensary drugs, carries out emergency dental treatment and brings back patients who require hospitalization at the District center. The problem is complicated by the fact that about half of the exposed people have moved to the islands of Ebeye and Majuro. At these two islands, though medical care is considerably better, the exposed people are scattered among thousands of Marshallese and no individual surveillance of these people has been 03864 LE _ ar f we : - peaks pete