U.S. doctor is moved to tears while listening to account of Hiroshima A-bomb survivor
Jul. 15, 2016
On July 14, three doctors from the U.S. state of California listened to the A-bomb account of Keiko Ogura, 78, an atomic bomb survivor and a resident of Naka Ward, at the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims. The opportunity arose as part of a training program for the doctors provided by the Hiroshima International Council for Health Care of the Radiation-exposed (HICARE), which is comprised of the Hiroshima prefectural government, the Hiroshima city government, and other entities.
Ms. Ogura, who was 8 at the time, experienced the atomic bombing in the Ushita district, 2.4 kilometers from the hypocenter. This area is now part of present-day Higashi Ward. She recounted her experience in English, describing the sight of people dying from their injuries, with no medical aid available, after fleeing the city center. She also spoke about the pain and hardship that the survivors were forced to endure after the war ended. “Traumatized over their inability to save the lives of family members or friends, many survivors were unable to share their experience of the bombing with anyone because they were afraid of suffering discrimination,” she said.
Jacob Chacko, 46, a psychiatrist from the Veterans Administration Hospital, was moved to tears. “If you can’t talk about it, you can’t heal the psychological wounds. The fact that people have been unable to share their experiences has made the healing process so much more difficult.”
The HICARE training runs for five days, from July 11 to 15. On this day, the doctors also visited the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), located in Minami Ward, and learned about the effects of radiation on the human body.
(Originally published on July 15, 2016)
Ms. Ogura, who was 8 at the time, experienced the atomic bombing in the Ushita district, 2.4 kilometers from the hypocenter. This area is now part of present-day Higashi Ward. She recounted her experience in English, describing the sight of people dying from their injuries, with no medical aid available, after fleeing the city center. She also spoke about the pain and hardship that the survivors were forced to endure after the war ended. “Traumatized over their inability to save the lives of family members or friends, many survivors were unable to share their experience of the bombing with anyone because they were afraid of suffering discrimination,” she said.
Jacob Chacko, 46, a psychiatrist from the Veterans Administration Hospital, was moved to tears. “If you can’t talk about it, you can’t heal the psychological wounds. The fact that people have been unable to share their experiences has made the healing process so much more difficult.”
The HICARE training runs for five days, from July 11 to 15. On this day, the doctors also visited the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), located in Minami Ward, and learned about the effects of radiation on the human body.
(Originally published on July 15, 2016)
