Report from Dr Ritchie Shoemaker, MD when he worked in St Bernard Parish..

February 17, 2006

Ritchie Shoemaker, MD

Thursday, February 16, 2006 12:45 PM

St. Bernard Parish

It is free for distribution

I recently returned from 4 days of testing fireman, homeless adults,

homeless children, Parish government employees and control patients

from one of the worst affected of the areas surrounding New

Orleans. To think New Orleans is safe for its citizenry to return

is illogical. Having a few square miles of high, dry area in the

French Quarter does not mean NO is ready for re-occupation. The

incredible toxin burden these people face is unbelievable.

I have an Excel that summarizes our initial data analysis that I

would be happy to attach to an email if someone would like a copy.

We worked in St. Bernard Parish. It comprises 2100 sq miles of

previously lush lowland and wetlands; it was covered by 8-15 feet of

salt water for over three weeks. I saw a couple of egrets, a few

pelicans, a few daffodils coming up and a red maple leafing out, but

most of the life as anyone would know it is gone.

FEMA and Homeland Security approved my visit before the fact, but

after NO Channel 6 and the NO Times Picayune ran pieces on sickened

patients documented at my site, FEMA at first threatened to arrest

me and then demanded that all the physicians on board the Scotia

Prince boat (provides safety, shelter, bathroom, showers and three

meals daily for 1000 people) who saw my clinic abandon the boat and

go to another. My clinic at the USPHS site was cancelled. If it

weren't for the protection provided by state Homeland Security

representative, I don't know where I would be now.

With over 60% of patients sickened in a catchments area of over

1,000,000 people, which projections of our numbers predict, one must

wonder how many people will go beyond the "magic cut-off" of 6

months of mold illness without treatment.

The blatant disregard for what we know about mold illness, with a

concomitant ongoing occurrence of treatable illness, like what is

also disregarded about other syndromes, like Gulf War and Lyme,

remains a national disgrace.

Ritchie C. Shoemaker MD

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