Immigrant Workers Rally Over Health Concerns At WTC Site
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Immigrant Workers Rally Over Health Concerns At WTC Site
September 06, 2006
Armed with signs and medical proof, some illegal immigrant workers who spent days at the world trade center rallied Downtown this afternoon, saying they need help with the health problems they've developed since the attacks.
Their protest comes one day after the largest study on the health impact of dust at the World Trade site was released with staggering results.
According to the report released Tuesday by Mount Sinai Hospital, nearly 70 percent of first responders developed new or worsened respiratory symptoms after the attacks. Among those who had no health problems before September 11th, 61 percent developed symptoms after exposure.
Mount Sinai's five-year-long study is based on findings from medical exams conducted between July of 2002 and April of 2004; 9,500 workers were tested.
Many of the immigrant workers say that they are also suffering from respiratory problems from working at the site.
The report suggests people who responded right after the attacks experience the worst health effects.
Despite the medical nature of the study, Mayor Michael Bloomberg expressed skepticism at the results.
"I haven't seen the Mount Sinai study, but I don't believe that you can say specifically a particular problem came from this particular effect," said Bloomberg.
His stance is putting him at odds with health care professionals.
"There should no longer be any doubt about the health effects of the World Trade Center," said Dr. Robin Herbert of Mt. Sinai. "Our patients are sick and will need ongoing health monitoring and treatment for the rest of their lives."
Regardless, the mayor announced a series of initiatives to help those who responded to the Trade Center disaster in the days after 9/11.
On Tuesday, he announced that the city is creating a five-year, $16-million environmental health center at Bellevue Hospital to treat those first responders and anyone who feels they are suffering from the effects of the dust they inhaled after the attacks.
The new health center is set to open in January.
NY1 will take on the topic tonight in the second in a series of town hall meetings addressing the major lasting effects of the September 11th attacks.
NY1 anchor Kristen Shaughnessy will host a discussion. Scheduled panelists include attorney David Worby, who represents thousands of ailing responders; Dr. Jacqueline Moline of the WTC Medical Monitoring Team at Mount Sinai Medical Center; Dr. Kamau Kokayi from the Olive Leaf Wellness Center; and John Jay College professor Gerald Markowitz, co-author of "Are We Ready? Public Health Since 9/11."
On Tuesday night, the first of four town hall meetings focused on the rebuilding effort.
NY1's John Schiumo moderated as the panel of guests chimed in about all the delays and controversy about what is being built and when it will be finished.
"What's critically important here is decisions are not being driven by snap polls, or more sophisticated polls. What's driving the decision here is the importance of this development to the city and to the nation," said Governor George Pataki's Chief of Staff John Cahill. "We're here to do it right and if it means taking some criticism, then we'll take the criticism."
"If we had a king or a monarch we could do this in five seconds. We live in a democracy, it's not a perfect system. It's messy, it's gray, there are investors, big organizations, politicians, but the site is moving ahead," said World Trade Center Master Planner Daniel Libeskind.
"We want the best finished product. If you have to have a little delay here or a little delay there, so be it. Let's get the best product," said Port Authority Vice Chairman Charles Gargano. "It's going to be here for a 100 to 200 years. Are we going to be concerned about slipping six months?"
Other panelists included memorial designer Michael Arad and Kevin Rampe, the Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.
