Japan nuclear crisis: evacuees turned away from shelters

[sasha031]

Hundreds of people evacuated from towns and villages close to the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant are being turned away by medical institutions and emergency shelters as fears of radioactive contagion catch on.
Hospitals and temporary refuges are demanding that evacuees provide them with certificates confirming that they have not been exposed to radiation before they are admitted.The situation at the plant remains critical, with the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency yesterday that radioactive iodine-131 at more than 3,350 times permitted levels has been found in a sample of seawater taken from near the facility. The water is the most highly contaminated sample taken from the sea and indicates that radiation from the core of one or more of the reactors, where fuel rods have partly melted, is leaking into the Pacific Ocean.
A spokesman for the agency said the radioactivity poses no immediate threat to human health because fishing has been banned close to the plant and iodine will have been "significantly diluted" before it comes into contact with marine species and then enters the food chain for humans.

The eight-year-old daughter of Takayuki Okamura was refused treatment for a skin rash by a clinic in Fukushima City, where the family is living in a shelter after abandoning their home in Minamisoma, 18 miles from the crippled nuclear plant."Just being forced to live in a shelter causes us anxiety," Mr Okamura, 49, said. "The institution's refusal to treat my daughter came as a great shock to us."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8416302/Japan-nuclear-crisis-evacuees-turned-away-from-shelters.html

[ensho]

1. the human radiation horror has just begun, it will get worse

nt

[indimuse]

2. KNR!

:(

[Snoutport]

3. But the pro nukes said there is no danger and they are 100% on top of stuff!

sarcasm sarcasm sarcasm

[SpiralHawk]

4. What? You have no papers?

Only radioactive proles have no papers.

Thou art hereby consigned to the Ashcan of History.

Deal with it.

[sasha031]

6. I just did a google on this story

the only thing that came up was the Telegraph publishing the original and many right wing sites repeating this.

can't verify it anywhere else, now sorry I posted it.


If it were to be true, one can only imagine what it would be like when your trying to protect a large group from contamination.

The horror the poor people of Japan have to face is heartbreaking.

[DainBramaged]

5. Fucking bullshit rotten bullshit. A country without empathy

just like an ant colony.

[crickets]

7. Japan Sets Up Team to Support Fukushima Evacuees

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011032901093

Tokyo, March 29 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government set up a special team on Tuesday to support people evacuating areas at risk from the ongoing crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

The team, headed by industry minister Banri Kaieda, will ask local authorities to take in evacuees, facilitate delivery of daily necessities to areas around the crippled plant and make available more information about actual radiation leaks from the plant.

The team was set up under the special nuclear disaster taskforce, headed by Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama will support Kaieda as a key aide. Senior vice industry minister Tadahiro Matsushita was named head of the secretariat.

The team will also arrange decontamination work and medical treatment for residents exposed to radiation.

(2011/03/29-22:44)

Apparently the situation was recognized and something is quickly being done about it. The Prime Minister deserves props for not being as incompetent as TEPCO, that's for sure.

[sasha031]

8. thank you for the link

[crickets]

9. Y'welcome

I saw this story and was horrified, so it was a relief to see another confirming that the Japanese government was aware of the problem and taking steps to do something about it. Poor Japan, they've got a long hard road ahead.

[Shagbark Hickory]

10. +1 OK original subject was a bit harsh.

[Generic Other]

11. The shelters are not set up to test the evacuees for contamination

From what I can gather, they are being tested and treated elsewhere. At least that is what was reported on NHK. Seems like they are being referred to other centers rather than just being turned away. The Japanese government does not want people with high levels of radiation contaminating others at this point. Probably there has been frustration and fear over being turned away. I doubt very much that it is because the evacuees needs are being ignored as the OP's news report states.