the toxic truth - Greenpeace
the toxic truth - Greenpeace
the toxic truth - Greenpeace
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gon<br />
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66 Amnesty internAtionAl And greenpeAce ne<strong>the</strong>rlAnds<br />
Chapter 5<br />
Île Boulay<br />
PK 18<br />
Agoueto<br />
DOCTORS’ QUOTES<br />
Yopougon<br />
Yopougon-<br />
Kouté<br />
Forêt du Banco<br />
Yopougon-Santé<br />
A number of young prisoners<br />
<strong>the</strong>n fell ill […] this particular<br />
group had been working in <strong>the</strong><br />
gardens outside <strong>the</strong> building,<br />
even closer to where <strong>the</strong> waste had been<br />
dumped. Those who became most seriously ill<br />
were those who had stayed in <strong>the</strong> garden<br />
longest. They presented at <strong>the</strong> clinic<br />
complaining of burning and stinging<br />
sensations in <strong>the</strong> thorax, nasal, ocular and<br />
laryngeal irritations. The symptoms became<br />
progressively worse. By around midday, we<br />
also noted symptoms such as muscular pain,<br />
arthralgia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea,<br />
cephalgia, as<strong>the</strong>nia and several cases of<br />
epistaxis and even two cases of hemarturia.<br />
Head of <strong>the</strong> clinic at MACA prison<br />
Cité Forest<br />
Filtisac<br />
Adjamé<br />
ABIDJAN<br />
Le Plateau<br />
Treichville<br />
Akeikoi<br />
Cité Angré<br />
Star 8<br />
Angré<br />
Cocody<br />
Marcory<br />
Cité<br />
Universaire<br />
de Vrindi<br />
During <strong>the</strong> peak period,<br />
throughout September, we were<br />
seeing up to 600 patients on<br />
certain days.[…] When we<br />
arrived at work in <strong>the</strong> mornings, <strong>the</strong>re were<br />
already long queues of people awaiting us.<br />
Some people waited all day, only to have to<br />
return <strong>the</strong> following morning, which made<br />
<strong>the</strong>m very frustrated. It was a very difcult<br />
time. […] Sometimes we ran out of particular<br />
medicines and had to send people elsewhere.<br />
Dr Bleu, GP in <strong>the</strong> Abidjan military hospital<br />
during <strong>the</strong> crisis - Hospital Militaire<br />
d’Abidjan<br />
Riviéra<br />
Palmeraie<br />
Ivoure<br />
Golf Club<br />
SICOGI<br />
This is <strong>the</strong> biggest health<br />
catastrophe that Côte d’Ivoire<br />
has known.<br />
Dr J, Ministry of Health<br />
Koumassi<br />
Noro Est<br />
From <strong>the</strong> time that my team and<br />
I spent in Djibi village […] I think<br />
it likely that <strong>the</strong> entire<br />
population of that village were<br />
victims of <strong>the</strong> waste. […] All <strong>the</strong> people treated<br />
<strong>the</strong>re were claiming some combination of<br />
symptoms consistent with <strong>the</strong> chemical<br />
exposure that were easily externally veriable<br />
on consultation. I had little cause to doubt <strong>the</strong><br />
existence of o<strong>the</strong>r subjective symptoms, such<br />
as headaches, as my staff and I had suffered<br />
similar symptoms on exposure. Unfortunately,<br />
only symptomatic treatment was available, as<br />
<strong>the</strong>re was nothing that we could do to address<br />
<strong>the</strong> apparent cause of <strong>the</strong> illnesses, <strong>the</strong> waste.<br />
As a result, many patients had to consult more<br />
than once in order Bingerville to receive fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
medication.<br />
Doctor S, from SAMU, speaking about Djibi<br />
Île Désirée<br />
Abouabou<br />
“I remember that on that day,<br />
everyone in <strong>the</strong> [hospital] had<br />
to leave after <strong>the</strong>y were<br />
enveloped by <strong>the</strong> emission.<br />
I started coughing, my eyes were burning and<br />
above all, my head was aching. It lasted all<br />
afternoon.<br />
Doctor X, CHU de Cocody<br />
On arriving in <strong>the</strong> city that day, I<br />
smelled an overpowering odour.<br />
My immediate concern was for<br />
my children, which is why I went<br />
home rst. When I arrived, I noticed that my<br />
children were suffering from ocular irritation,<br />
cough and thoracic pain. The odours were<br />
quite simply oppressive. They burned my<br />
throat and caused abdominal pain. My eyes<br />
itched, and I very quickly began to suffer <strong>the</strong><br />
same symptoms as my family.<br />
Lung specialist at a clinic in Abidjan