AS you all will now know, several residents from Rosebery have been diagnosed with heavy metal poisoning particularly arsenic, lead, cadmium and other heavy metals.
I was one of the five people who were involved in the Government’s Investigations into toxic heavy metal contamination in Rosebery last year.
We experienced many difficulties during this investigation.
At the beginning of the investigation we made several requests to the DHHS for them to appoint an Advocate for us but our requests were ignored.
The DHHS and EPA Project Team members did not listen to us, did not consult with us, and did not treat us with respect.
They offered no assistance or support to us or other residents to obtain specialist medical, dental or optical assessments relating to heavy metals.
From the onset, the combined Health Department and EPA Project Team Investigation (which handed down its Final Report in April 2009) seemed to be focussed on ‘measurements’ of various heavy metals rather than having a close look at the medical problems of the Rosebery residents.
This attitude was very disappointing and frustrating for us.
The results we received from our biological and environmental samples came back from the Government’s own laboratories showing very high levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, nickel and other heavy metals.
The DHHS and EPA ignored these results.
In the early stages of the investigation other residents who were also very ill with heavy metal poisoning attempted to be included in the investigation, but without any reason given, they were rejected by the DHHS. The DHHS, to this day, has failed to provide any assistance to these very ill residents.
Some of the key symptoms and health problems that many of us have experienced include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Headaches
Metallic taste in mouth
Numbness in feet and hands
Arthritis
Osteoporosis
Heart and circulation problems
Depression
Insomnia
Lack of concentration and inability to control anger
Our Taskforce has already written to the Director of Health, Dr Roscoe Taylor, requesting that he appoint a Health Advocate for Rosebery residents. He has ignored our request.
If you are concerned about any health issues and feel unable to cope with the Health System on your own, then you can help by asking your Doctor and the DHHS to appoint a dedicated Health Advocate for people in need of support in Rosebery.
A HEALTH ADVOCATE IS ESSENTIAL TO MANY OF US WITH ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION, AS IT IS NOT ONLY VERY DIFFICULT TO BE OBJECTIVE ABOUT OUR OWN HEALTH BUT WE OFTEN DO NOT FEEL WELL ENOUGH TO ADVOCATE STRONGLY ENOUGH TO AVAIL OURSELVES OF ALL THE RELEVANT INFORMATION THAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SO WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE PROPERLY INFORMED DECISIONS AND TO BE HEARD.
A Health Advocate can help you to understand what your health rights and responsibilities are as a patient in the health system. Many of our health rights were ignored or abused during our participation with the DHHS investigation.
The Tasmanian Office of the Health Complaints Commissioner produces a Booklet titled the “Tasmanian Charter of Health Rights and Responsibilities” and in this it states:
“RIGHT 1
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN HEALTH CARE
The Rights of the Health Service Consumer etc”
Our Taskforce has written to the Director of Health requesting that he establish an independent Population Based Health and Environmental Survey that will also include an Animal and Vegetable Testing Program.
Our Taskforce has also told the Director of Health that we have no confidence in himself or his Deputy Director Dr Chrissie Pickin to establish an effective new health investigation in Rosebery given the failure of the previous investigation.
Our Taskforce want the Government to appoint a well qualified physician with experience in neurology and a clinical toxicologist with recent “hands on experience” in the examination of patients with diagnosed heavy metal poisoning particularly arsenic, lead and cadmium.
The past eighteen months have been difficult for many people in Rosebery whether or not they are healthy or suffering from different health issues than those associated with heavy metal poisoning.
It is important in our remote and under resourced community to care for those who are in need of support. This is the time for the people of Rosebery to pull together and make sure that the Government does the right thing by setting up a proper population based health survey in Rosebery and providing residents with a much needed Health Advocate.
What Lara Giddings told the meeting, Download:
3754_001.pdf
