4,

group led by Meinhold and Greenhouse, as well as with work done by other
laboratories.

Logistics:the medical team.

The past five years have been particularly momentous for
Following the death from leukemia, we instituted blood

examinations in the exposed people at six month intervals.

treatment program was not being strictly adhered to.

The thyroid

For these reasons,

a resident physician, Dr. Knudsen was placed in the Marshalls to help
with the thyroid treatment program and render assistance with health care,
particularly in the islands of Rongelap, Utirik and Bikini by inaugurating
quarterly visits to these islands.

Transportation problems have been acute

with. difficulties in chartering -and~scheduling: of “TrustTerritory-CargoShips. =
which were already overburdened with schedules of -their-owns=These ships.=
are far from reliable and often have inadequate safety features.

The AEC

was sympathetic with our problem and realizing also the need for a special
survey vessel for other radiological surveys in the Marshalls,

last year

obtained -an LCU.for- survey use. . This has been a tremendous-help to us in—
carrying out our quarterly trips:to the outer islands... The vessel is-slow.-.
but-can be beached and can haul our-special whole-body counter and dispensarytrailers.
Political Issues:-

In 1971 local Marshallese congressmen made absurd

accusations against us saying that the U.S. had deliberately caused the
fallout accident in order to study the effects of radiation on human beings;
that we were using the people as "guinea pigs"; that we were not reporting
deaths from radiation ete.

These unjust charges were most disturbing to

our medical team and the situation became particularly frustrating when
in March 1972 we had to halt the examinations at Rongelap due to political
interference.

The Congress of Micronesia then appointed a group of four

DOE ARCHIVES
eS

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