Subject: HQ NR #7043: Review & Current Status of NIH Radiation Incident

From: [email-masked] (ifcss)
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 14:53:26 -0400

*  *  *    N E W S   R E L E A S E   7043   *  *  *
          _________   October 13, 1995  __________

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IFCSS Foundation, Inc. 733 15th Street, NW  Suite 440 Washington, 
     D.C. 20005   Tel: (202) 347-0017      Fax: (202) 347-0018
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        Review & Current Status of NIH Radiation Incident

     IFCSS Headquarters contacted the Administration of NIH  again,  
concerning the overdose internal radioactive  contamination, expre-
ssing grave regret and indignity over NIH 's handling of  the  case 
and its alleged cover-up manipulation. IFCSS reiterated its request 
that an complete investigation be conducted and the results be pub-
lished. Frustrated deeply by the NIH administration in the past few 
months, Ma wenli filed a federal complaint with the Nuclear Regula-
tory Commission ( NRC), alleging that  NIH  greatly  underestimated  
her radiation  exposure and provided inadequate medical  treatment, 
urging NRC to revoke NIH's license to handle radioactive materials.

     Ma Wenli came to the U.S. in 1994 to be a post-doctor  resear-
cher in the National Cancer Institute's Laboratory of Molecular Ph-
armacology. She became pregnant in March. When she told his  super-
visor, Dr. Weinstein , that she was pregnant ,   Dr.  Weintein told 
her that her experiment was in critical moment and repeatedly urged 
her to terminate pregnancy, but Ma refused. A week later, Ma  found 
herself internally contaminated by experimental radioactive  mater-
ial,   after  eating leftover Chinese food from a lab refrigerator. 
IFCSS headquarter sent a letter in  August to  NIH  administration, 
showing great concern about Ma's tragic case, requesting   that   a 
fair and open investigation be conducted, and reserving  the  right 
of legal pursuit.

     Weeks later, Deputy Director of NIH, Dr.  Gottesman  responded 
IFCSS request, acknowledging that the case had been  under investi-
gation of FBI and NIH Division of Security Operations. He also said 
that" the NIH radiatioin Safety Branch has analyzed  all  specimens 
and  calculate the exposure' and that the results was to be reviewd 
by the NRC. He promised that  "we share in your concerns and assure 
you of our strong commitment to the health and well-being  of   the 
researcher."

     In fact, NIH handled the case in a scale-down stratage.  Three 
months ago, NIH reported that a water cooler in the lab was  conta-
minated simultaneously, causing the poisonning of twenty  research-
ers, with Ma's dose slightly higher, trying to "dilute" the severe-
ness of  Ma's  internal contamination. The conclusion of this story 
by NIH was reputed by the true words from Ma:   Ma   seldom   drank
water from that fountain but drink the warm water at  the   meeting 
room instead after her pregnancy;  furthermore, drinking the radio-
active material in the water cooler could not explain the fact  the 
exposure of Ma was tens of times greater than that of other victims.
It was also observed that by evaluating her exposure, NIH's  report
used a while male's weight as high as 150 pounds to calculate  Ma's
intake and distribution of radioisotope in her body, however,  Ma's
weight is only 90 pounds.

     Mr. Gottesman called IFCSS President Xing Zheng at the   Head-
quarters on October 10 to explain NIH's position. He said that  NIH 
believed that the contamination was deliberate and   NIH was deeply 
embarassed by the case. He said that the case was still  under  in-
vestigation of FBI. He went on to claim that such a   dose wouldn't 
cause severe impact on her and her fetus.  The HQ staff pointed out 
that maybe that was the very reason of NIH's negligence  and  igno-
rance in dealing with such a crucial problem of one's life and hea-
lth, and contended Mr. Gottesman :  "Can you, as an expert in medi-
cal science, afford us any case in the past , which  can prove that 
such a dose is harmless to the health of a person and  her  fetus?" 
Actually NRC in an independent test which   showed that Ma received 
between 740 and 820 microcuries.   The fetus is especially  suscep-
tible to radioactive damage. In the past several decades, there has 
never been such a high internal exposure incident to  lab-used  P32, 
of a person working in a  research lab. Experts  estimated that the 
probability of Ma's  developing  cancer would be as high as 83 per-
cent. Ma  is greatly indignant that NIH significantly underestimate 
the exposure and delayed the effective therapy, such as "phosphorus  
compensation therapy",  that  would  be  especially  helpful in the 
early stage.

     In the end , Mr. Gottesman promised to IFCSS that  Ma  Wenli's 
position and career in NIH will not be affected, no matter what the 
result of her case might be. He claimed NIH will stand by  Ma Wenli 
in the whole process. To oversee the case being solved  fairly  and
just, IFCSS Headquarters has also started to seek channels to bring 
the issue to selected members of the U.S. Congress.

     As talked with Ma Wenli over the phone, IFCSS Headquarters was
informed that her general health situation has improved in the past 
months. She thanks to all the  friends  from  Chinese  student  and 
scholar community for care and support. The Headquarters will  also
be pleased to pass any regard or other message to  her   from  this 
community.  

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