Monday, May 30, 2016

Geneva: Electrosensitive Persons at the University Hospital (HUG)

Geneva: Electrosensitive Persons at the University Hospital (HUG)

Reading this comment, you will see that there are no special provisions being made at HUG for treating electrohypersensitive persons.  In fact, improvements probably need to be made to provide better care for persons with other disabilities.  Following this comment is the introduction to a 2011 report on electrohypersensitivity, a summary of which can be found on the Website of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU).  

Professor Arnaud Perrier and Séverine Lalive Raemy
believe that part of being attentive to the needs of all
patients includes providing better care for handicapped
persons.
Electrosensitive persons at Geneva's university hospital (HUG)
by Meris Michaels, Readers' Mail, Tribune de Genève, 2 April 2016

If one wants to "promote care" of handicapped persons at HUG, places free of electromagnetic (EM) waves should be created to treat electrosensitive persons (estimated to be 5% of the population). These persons, sensitive to the radiation emitted by Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies, cannot be treated at hospitals because this type of radiation saturates treatment rooms and even patient rooms. Everyone could become electrosensitive.

In the January 2016 magazine published by CSS Insurance, the president of Doctors for the Protection of the Environment, Dr. Peter Källin, states: "More and more evidence suggests that electromagnetic pollution, even below the limit values, is harmful to health." Dr. Källin criticizes the fact that the population is often insufficiently informed about the way to use these new means of communication in order to reduce electromagnetic pollution.



His advice: disconnect, switch off, distance oneself. In Sweden, where electrohypersensitivity is recognized as a functional impairment, hospitals equipped with treatment rooms shielded from waves exist for persons suffering from this intolerance.

The raising of awareness of all caregivers in the medical profession regarding the harmful effects of radiation, including the specific needs of electrosensitive persons, should be a part of their training.

*****

Introduction to Abstract of 2011 Report on Electrohypersensitivity
- Link can be found by searching on "OFEV and electrohypersensitivty (in German, some parts in French, introduction to abstract in English)
- Link to report summary - not available in English:  http://www.bafu.admin.ch/publikationen/publikation/01669/index.html?lang=fr

This report describes the status of the scientific knowledge as of the end of 2011 concerning the electromagnetic hypersensitivity (or electrosensitivity) of human beings. It takes account of scientifically published experimental and epidemiological studies and individual case reports which meet the criteria for environmental medicine casuistics. The term “electrosensitive” is applied to people who suffer from negative effects on their health or wellbeing which they attribute to exposure to electromagnetic fields in their daily life. To date there are no recognised diagnostic criteria, nor has any evidence been found that the effects suffered by electrosensitive people are directly attributable to their exposure to electromagnetic fields in their daily life. The question whether this may nonetheless be the case for some people within the group of electrosensitive human beings remains unanswered. The “nocebo effect”, i.e. the fact that the anticipation of an effect on health or wellbeing can already trigger or intensify such symptoms, probably plays at least a partial role. No clear differences in the constitution of people with and without electrosensitivity have been identified which could form the basis for diagnostic criteria, and very few reports on therapeutic options or successes can be found in related scientific literature. 

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