PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED
They invited four well-known physicians to be
consultants to accompany the medical team and
evaluate the program, namely, Edward E.
leuke
Pocnin of the University College Hospital,
Medical School. England;!* Haruko Ezaki. and
mont!
are di
Tashiuki Kumatori of Japan, and William Cole,
Th
Associate Director of the Bureau of Public
Health, from the U.S. Publie Heaith Service.
Our team consisted of five doctors, two
‘*Pochin had been most interested in the studies of the
Marshallese and had helped previously with statistics on thyroid effects.
' tions.
locat:
Rong
natio
big ¢:
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iene oe oe
asec
oe
Marshallese practitioners, and five technicians.
Two representatives of the Congress of
Micronesia, Hans Wilander and Ataji Balos,
also accompanied the team. Below is a photo of
the special medicai team.
The survey proceeded smoothly and the people cooperated fully (B-62). Except for the findings of two Rongelap people with thyroid
nodules requiring surgery, there were no other
findings related to radiation exposure.
However, on subsequent examinationsof people
living at Majuro and Ebeye, a young man,
, who had been exposed on Rongelap at
one year of age, was found to have a very low
white blood cell count. He accompanied us back
to Brookhaven National Laboratory and acute
obser
ce en eats el es tee =
Malone wrote, ... The people on Rongeiap got
the snort end of the deal. A lot of talent was on
their doorstep this week and they were used
like pawns in achness game. Although Balos
rejects the idea, compensation may weil be the
key to the Rongelap problem. But the.
Congressman insists he simply wants an independent non-government medical team to examine the people... (B-61).
During our stay on the island, we found one
woman who had an abdominal tumor and
brought her back with us to Majuro for surgery.
There were three Rongelap women who needed
- post-surgical checkup at Hawaii. They were not
allowed to go and were returned to Rongelap.
Unfortunately, one of the young men exposed on
Rongelap, who died later that year from leukemia. missed our examination. His disease might
have been treated earlier, although it still
would probably have been fatal.
Following the aborted survey, the Joint
Committee on Rongelap and Utirik of the
Congress of Micronesia arranged for a special
medical survey to take place in September 1972.
Com
reco!
tions
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folle
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spec
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Maj
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The March 1972 MedigphTeam yith observerss appointed by the Congress of Micronesia.
40
PRIVACY A277 MATERIAL REMOVED
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