AMA concerned about machines instead of human beings 

AMA President Dr. Steve Hambleton
Vice President Professor Geoffrey Dobb
Members of AMA Federal Council

I would like to bring the following comments to your attention. It is a reaction to the Australian Medical Association’s text called Wind Farms and Health – 2014. I am living in Denmark and learned about your text from the internet. I am deeply concerned and disappointed about the views stated there because of their lack of empathy and kindness to a large group of your own people. How can you betray like that all those humans, who are suffering due to the fact that they are living near wind turbines. They need your help urgently! Certainly they don’t need your derogatory remarks! People should be able to trust their medical system, shouldn’t they?

Do you remember your oath as a member of the medical profession?

At the time of being admitted as a member of the medical profession:

• I solemnly pledge to consecrate my life to the service of humanity;
• I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude that is their due;
• I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity;
• The health of my patient will be my first consideration;
• I will respect the secrets that are confided in me, even after the patient has died;
• I will maintain by all the means in my power, the honour and the noble traditions of the medical profession;
• My colleagues will be my sisters and brothers;
• I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient;
• I will maintain the utmost respect for human life;
• I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat;
• I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honour.

Instead of beginning your statement with the reality of what the many people, who live close to wind farms, have to deal with, you choose to praise wind energy. Why do you do that? This is not your profession as physicians to promote (or defend) wind turbine noise.

Could it be that an employee of the wind industry has had the pleasure of writing the text for you instead of a real physician? Or maybe a physician who is in the pocket of the wind industry?

Your statement combined with AGL Energy United’s letter from 13th November 2012 to the doctors at Macarthur Community Health is seriously disturbing. The global “Wind power industry” seems to be almighty.

We would ask you to imagine a future scenario, where the global society has found out and admitted that wind turbine noise harms people, who live in the neighborhood of windfarms. How will you explain your ignorance and your denial of the problems than? How will you excuse that your concern was not about human beings but machines? How will you explain your strategy against rural Australians instead of being a true friend and helpful to them?

Didn’t you realise that in February 2014 the NHMRC clearly stated the need for especially medically based research in this area by researchers without any conflicts of interests. What scientific basis do you have in AMA that makes it possible for you to reject the conclusions of NHMRC?

Be sure that your position-statement and my letter and other concerned citizens’ comments will be widespread all over the world.

Greta Gallandy-Jakobsen
Denmark