Fw: The Battle Ground is CONGRESS from World Sarcoidosis Society

[Guest guest]

From: Barbara Hasenour (by way of ilena rose) <mtbears@...>

Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2001 7:17 PM

Subject: " The Battle Ground is CONGRESS " from World Sarcoidosis Society

> Ilena, please post this as I have been following this group and it

> appears they have been poisoned by chemicals also and are having a

similar

> problem and can't get recognition for their disease process either.

>

> Barbara Hasenour -----

>

> Original Message ----- From: World Sarcoidosis Society

> http://www.worldsarcSOCIETY.com

The " simplest, all-inclusive goal " for solving

> these recurrentproblems????????

from: Philip Jajosky, MD, MPH

> All these stories about neglected medical problems and thewithholding of

> medical information (see below) point to the need for the asimple,

> comprehensive, " universal " guiding principle. When governmentofficials

> first determine that government workers (active duty orcivilian) have

> work-related, service-connected disease, they must be boundby law to

> notify their coworkers. That requirement would simply codifythe " medical

> oath " and common-sense public health principles that alreadyexist (but

are

> ignored) into law.

> As someone who has enjoyed the simplicity and beauty of the lawsof

> physics, I believe our simplest goal must be one that

> requirestruth-telling by law. It gets too complicated and distracting

when

> wetalk about violating " informed consent " and then " failure to warn, "

> etc.as apparently separate or different issues. They all represent

> thefailure to tell the truth and comply with the medical oath to

> treateveryone as we would our own family members.

> The battleground is Congress. Congress passes the laws. Everyonewithout

> some vested interest or ulterior motive would agree that coworkersmust be

> told the truth about what happened to their coworkers as a resultof

> job-related exposures. And so, if we can ever prompt thisdebate/dialogue,

> everyone could see who was opposed to truth-telling andwho was in favor

of

> it. So far, the VA, Navy, CDC, NIOSH, and the Officeof the Surgeon

General

> have repeatedly blocked each and every effort tosimply tell vets the

truth

> about how their coworkers (5,000+) got ill withdust-induced lung disease

> which was diagnosed by the government itself(the VA). " These vets have to

> figure out on their own what happened tothem " is the current response.

> I have been unable to bring attention and publicity to thisrefusal so

> everyone can openly witness this code-of-silence mentalitywhich dominated

> the " Tuskegee-era " thinking. That is, most are unawarethat the VA has

> repeatedly said it will refuse to notify and warn anycoworkers about the

> 5,000+ diagnoses of work-related lung disease the VAhas made in recent

> years. What is so bizarre about that refusal is thatthis violates the

> teachings of the Pentagon's Medical School and otherschools of public

> health throughout the world. In short, that refusalreprsents malpractice,

> the malpractice of Tuskegee which President Clintonapologized for.

> What is the " smoke and mirrors " tactic that has killed the " truth-telling

> mission " ?

>

> The VA has cleverly tried to convert this intoa " research issue. " That

is,

> the VA has alleged that if anyone isconcerned about these unsuspecting

> veterans with breathing problems, theycan apply or research grants. That

> is like saying drivers involved inhit-and-run accidents have the OPTION

to

> return and help. But, ofcourse, this is not about " research options. "

This

> is about themandatory, moral imperative to tell the truth. We don't have

> an " option. " The government is obligated to help its employees who got

> sickon the job.

> Thus, I think we need to direct our efforts to passing a law thatmakes it

> mandatory that the US government notify coworkers about how thosewho did

> the same work as them got sick and/or died. Why not? There isno

legitimate

> reason not to tell the truth. That is required by publichealth principles

> and our medical oath. We just need to codify medicalethics into simple,

> powerful laws.

> THE BATTLEGROUND IS CONGRESS

> Thanks again Dr. Jajosky for your views..

> Kipy and the WSS Crew

>

>