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BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL UWORATORY
ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC.

1

Upton,Long Island,
New York11973
(516)282\
FTS 666/

Medical Department

1

RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR
EXPOSED
PCUWLGTIONS
.—
William
H. Adams,
March
6, 1986

PI MEDICAL
PROGRAM
TO C~RE
CIF RONGELAP
GND IJTIRIK
—
.—

FOR

THE

RflDIATION-

M.D.

With
the passage
of the Compact
of Fr=e Aszociationz
the
radiolcigic
health
care program
identiefi under
Section
(~may
now
be implemented.
tJnder this program
an aqenc;~ will be identified
which
will
“continue
to provide
special
medical
care and
174 members
Gf the
logistical
support
thereto
for the remaining
population
nf Rongelap
and L!trik who were exposed
to
radiation.. . .“.
The Brookhaven
National
Laboratory
(BIUL) medical
providing
medical
program
has beein
care to the exposed
population
for 32 yFs2i-S.
It has on file the extensive
medical
records
obtained
during
this period,
and its physicians
and suppart
staff
have
an acquaintance
with
the health
p:-GblemS
of the expc)sed
group
which
is both comprehensive
and yet specialized
in terms of
radiation
exposure.
It ,has at hand noted
authorities
in
radiation
medicine
and radiation
physics;; “ many of these
inVOIVed
.Lyith
the Flarshall
Islands
medical
ir,dividuals
have been
program
first-hand.
The per-sonal ccntact
which
has existed
over
many years
has permitted
a relationship
to evolve
which?
while
haVing
had its ups and downs>
pi-ovides
a familiarity
with exposed
individual=
and their familiss
which
can in many ways be
consider~d
a “doctor-patient”
relationship.
The principal
assumption
on which
the following
PlatI rests)
of course>
is that
the established
Brookhaven
program
will be permitted
to continue.
For at least
the past five year-s, planning
for the medical
program
has, for practical
purposes,
been one year at a time.
There
has been
i-toguarantee
c]f a long-term
program
despite
tha
repeated
b~ut necessary
efforts
expended
to plan
for one.
With
the Compac t agreement
an I 1 fear program
can now be funded.
It
is the firzt
5 y.sar-s of such a prcg~am
which
this Plan addresses.
In yt2di-5
misunderstavld

past,
a continuing
source
c)f confusion
and
ing has beer! the ]require,merit. ur.der public
law~

-.

for

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