-1o-
Steps have been taken to make available
to the Trust Territory $16,000
from the AEC to provide inconvenience payment to the people of Utirik.
However, it is our understanding
that the procedure
for the disposition of
these funds has not been decided.
A Misconception
of Medical Responsibility
Dr. Conard has suggested that the Marshallese
the idea that the objectives and professional
have probably never accepted
responsibilities
of the Medical
Survey team are quite different from those of the Health Department
Territories .
of the Trust
The Mediccl Survey teams have the objective of evaluating the
health status of those exposed to fallout radiations and certain others who
serve as a control population.
In order to accomplish
the survey on an island
or atoll, it was found useful for reasons of good public relations to set up a
“sickcall,” i.e., outpatient clinics, for the people in general.
with the kno-t:ledgeand active cooperation
of the Health Department
This is done
of the Trust
Territories .
The physicians in the Health Department
on the other hand are responsible
for the day-to-day general medical care of about 100,000 people who live in
small groups on islands or atolls scattered over an area of the Pacific equal
to that of the United States.
Considering
the logistic problems and the dearth
of physicians willing to practice under these conditions,
performs” its duties vet-y creditably.
the Health Department
Tl~e Sul-vey Team is concerned only with
diagnosis and evaluation unless a very serious condition is found or an acute
disease is develo~]in[:. Definitive
trcatnwn~ is kept at a minimum by the Survey
Team since that is properly the responsibility
Medical Department of the Trust Territories.
of the attending physicians of the