City responds to 9/11 health issues

On the same day Mount Sinai Hospital released a report saying seven out of 10 rescue workers at the World Trade Center (WTC) site experienced respiratory problems from working at the site, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced an extensive citywide effort to attend to a growing number of health-related issues.
Bloomberg announced on Tuesday, September 5, a three-point plan to address the issues including creating a WTC Environmental Health Center at Bellevue Hospital; expanding the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's (DOHMH) World Trade Center Unit; and creating an internal Mayoral review panel to ensure maximum coordination between City agencies.
&#8220This plan will strengthen services to individuals in need of help today, while enhancing our local capacity to identify and respond to the health needs of tomorrow,” Bloomberg said. &#8220We will never abandon those who gave heroically during those difficult days.”
The Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) will take the lead in creating the WTC Environmental Health Center at Bellevue, scheduled to open in January of 2007.
&#8220The WTC Environmental Health Center will allow us to bring comprehensive assessment and specialty treatment to a broader range of people with suspected WTC-related health problems, especially those who are not able to access existing WTC programs,” said HHC President Alan D. Aviles.
In addition, by expanding DOHMH's World Trade Center Unit, with the city providing $21.6 million over five years, it hopes to find new systems to monitor respiratory and other physical health conditions that may be linked to exposure following the attacks.
&#8220The goal is to develop the most accurate understanding of and best response to the physical and mental health effects linked to WTC exposure and to provide this to doctors, patients, and the public,” DOHMH Commissioner Thomas Frieden.
The Mount Sinai study, which was based on medical exams performed on 9,500 workers between July 2002 and April 2004, found that a high proportion of those examined became sick because of working at the site, and many of the illnesses have persisted since the attacks.
&#8220Many who worked at Ground Zero in the early days after the attacks have sustained serious and lasting health problems as a direct result of their exposure to the environment there,” said Dennis Charney, Dean for Academic and Scientific Affairs at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. &#8220This study scientifically confirms high rates of respiratory problems in a large number of responders - including construction workers, law enforcement officers, utilities workers and public sector workers.”
Congressmember Carolyn Maloney, who joined Senator Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, September 5, to discuss the report, was extremely critical of the federal efforts to help those who have become ill.
&#8220I find it scandalous beyond words that not one single federal dollar has been spent on treatment,” Maloney said. &#8220I hope that we will have a national commitment for everyone exposed to the toxic soup at the site.”