Impact of Radiation on the Population during the First Weeks and Months after
the Chernobyl Accident and Health State of the Population 10 Years Later
Alla YAROSHINSKAYA
Yaroshinskaya Charity Fund
20/2 Beresnevskaya Naberezhnaya, Moscow 103790, Russia; yaro@glas.apc.org
After the nuclear catastrophe at the Chernobyl NPP
on the 26th of April 1986, the USSR government
immediately took all measures to classify the fact ofthe accident itself and its consequences for thepopulation and the environment. The USSR
government released instructions marked with “topsecret” to classify all data on the accident at theChernobyl NPP, especially on those related to thehealth of the population that suffered from theaccident. Then followed instructions by the USSR
Ministry of Health and the USSR Ministry of Defence
to classify irradiation doses accumulated by thepopulation, liquidators (people that had been involved
in liquidation of the accident consequences) and themilitary personnel. These regulations demanded that
medical staffs should not make the diagnosis of “acuteradiation syndrome” in the files of themilitary-liquidators and replace it by something else.
The classified documents have not been accessible
for many years. Only in 1991, when the Soviet Union
was collapsing, the author of this material had
managed to obtain secret protocols [1] of the Operative
Group of the Politic Bureau of the Central Committeeof the CPSU (the Communist Party of the Soviet
Union). These protocols stated a number of persons
were subject to irradiation and hospitalised during thefirst days after the Chernobyl accident.

A.Ya.) allocated a special health centre inMichailovskoye near Moscow for the persons
suffering mild forms, and health centres in cities
Odessa and Evpatoriy with total 1,200 places. A totalof 6,000 beds in health centres institutions and 1,300
beds in pioneer camps were allocated near Kiev."
Protocol on the 5th of May 1986: "It is reported.. by
Mr. Stchepin that the total number of hospitalised
persons amounted to 2,757 among which 569 werechildren. 914 have symptom of radiation syndrome
and 18 out of them are in critical state."
Protocol on the 6th of May 1986: "It is reported.. by
Mr. Schtepin that by 9-00 on the 6th of May the total
number of hospitalised persons is 3,454. 2,609 of themare on stationary treatment, including 471 children.
According to the updated information, the number ofpersons suffering acute radiation syndrome reached
367, including 19 children. 34 of them are in criticalstate. In the 6th Moscow Hospital there are 179 persons
on stationary treatment, including 2 children."
The cynicism of the authorities shown in thedocument is striking: "The proposal of the Ministry of
Health Care of the USSR on the expedience of
publishing data on the number and state of persons
hospitalised in the 6th Moscow Hospital should beaccepted, taking into account that there are working
American specialists in this hospital." If the Americans
were not working in this hospital, the world would
have never learned about the number of people
suffering from the Chernobyl accident and undergoingtreatment in the 6th Moscow hospital.

Secret protocols of the Operative GroupIn the protocol of the 4th of May 1986, the firstdescription about the health state of population
appears: "The report of Mr. Stchepin (First Deputy
Minister of Health Care of the USSR - A.Ya.) on
hospitalisation and medical treatment of thepopulation subject to radiation effect: It is noted thatby the 4th of May a total of 1,882 persons have been
hospitalised. The total number of persons examinedreached 38,000 persons. 204 persons have been foundsuffering radiation syndrome of different seriousness.
Among them 64 are children. 18 persons are in criticalstate. 1,900 beds in medical institutions of theUkrainian SSR have been allocated to hospitalise thepersons suffering from the consequences. The
Ministry of Health Care of the USSR along with theVCSPS (The USSR Central Soviet of Trade Unions -Protocol on the 8th of May 1986: "It is reported.. byMr. Schtepin that in the course of the last day thenumber of hospitalised increased by 2,245 persons
including 730 children. .... By 10.00 on the 8th of May
the number of persons on stationary treatment
amounted to 5,414 including 1,928 children. The
diagnosis of radiation syndrome has been concluded in
315 cases."Protocol on the 10th of May 1986: "It is reported..
by Mr. Schtepin that in the course of the last 2 days
4,019 persons have been hospitalised including 2,630
children. The total number of persons in hospitals is8,695, including 238 persons with diagnosis ofradiation syndrome, 26 of which are children. In theThis report was published in Gijutsu-to-Ningen, No.
275, pp.28-34, Apr. 1997 (in Japanese).

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course of the last day 2 persons died, and 33 are in
critical state."

including 7 children. The total number of deceased
persons is 17. 28 persons are in critical state."

Protocol on the 11th of May 1986: "It is reported..
by Mr. Schtepin that in the course of the last day 495
persons have been hospitalised. .... The total number ofpersons undergoing treatment and medical
examination in hospitals constituted 8,137 including
264 persons with diagnosis of acute radiation
syndrome. 37 persons are in critical state. 2 persons
have died during the last day."

Beginning from the 26th of May 1986 thedescription on the number of hospitalised persons inthe secret protocols of the Operative Group of theCPSU Central Committee Politbureau became
irregularly, not at every meeting.
Protocol on the 28th of May 1986: "It is reported..
by Mr. Schtepin that 5,172 persons are undergoingtreatment in hospitals, including 182 persons with theconfirmed diagnosis of radiation syndrome. The total
number of deceased persons by the 28th of May
constituted 22 persons (plus 2 persons had perished in
the accident)."

Protocol on the 12th of May 1986: "It is reported..
by Mr. Schtepin that in the course of the last day 2,703
more persons have been hospitalised, generally inByelorussia. 678 persons have been discharged from
hospitals. 10,198 persons are undergoing treatment
and medical examination in hospitals."Protocol on the 2nd of June 1986: "It is reported.. byMr. Schtepin that 3,669 persons are undergoingtreatment in hospitals, including 171 persons with theconfirmed diagnosis of radiation syndrome. The total
number of deceased persons by the 28th of May
constituted 24 persons (besides, 2 persons hadperished in the accident). 23 persons are in criticalstate."

Beginning from the 13th of May 1986, the numberof hospitalised persons in the reports of the Deputy
Minister of Health Care of the USSR sharply
decreased, while the number of discharged persons
started to increase.
Protocol on the 13th of May 1986: "Make note thatin the course of the last day 443 persons have been
hospitalised, 908 persons have been discharged from
hospitals. 9,733 persons including 4,200 children are
undergoing treatment and medical examination in
hospitals. Diagnosis of radiation syndrome has beenconcluded in 299 cases including 37 children."This is the last mentioning about the number ofhospitalised persons in the secret protocols of theOperative Group, although the Group itself continued
to exist until the early 1988. Its last meeting was heldon the 6th of January 1988.
A question arises: why did the process ofdischarging people from hospitals become so rapid
after the number of persons hospitalised for treatment
had exceeded 10,000? The answer to this question canbe found in the same secret documents.

Protocol on the 14th of May 1986: "It is reported..
by Mr. Schtepin that in the course of the last day 1,059
more persons have been hospitalised. 1,200 persons
have been discharged from hospitals."Protocol on the 16th of May 1986: "It is reported..
by Mr. Schtepin that by 16th of May 1986 the numberof hospitalised amounted to 7,858 persons including
3,410 children. Diagnosis of radiation syndrome has
been confirmed in 201 cases. The total number ofperished and deceased persons is 15, including 2persons that have died on the 15th of May."

Protocol No.9 on the 8th of May 1986: ".... The
Ministry of Health Care has confirmed the new normsof acceptable levels of the population irradiation 10times higher than old norms. Increase of these norms tolevels 50 times higher than the previous is possible inspecific cases." And further: "By these means thehealth safety of the population of all ages isguaranteed, even in case the current radiation situation
remains for 2.5 years." These norms have been
confirmed even for pregnant women and children.
Such action means that, by applying the new norms
exceeding the old ones by 10 to 50 times to more than
10,000 people hospitalised for treatment due toirradiation by the accident, these people had become
healthy automatically and were discharged from
hospitals and clinics. It as well explains the sharp
decrease in the number of people suffering the acuteradiation syndrome. It explains the fact that at all
further meetings of the Operative Group on Chernobyl
no information appeared on the hospitalised persons. It
goes without saying that the Soviet party leadershipincreased the acceptable irradiation doses by 10 to 50
times in order to conceal the true number of theHowever, as the documents show, these data were
not thorough and exact. At the meeting of theOperative Group on the 16th of May, the following
decision was taken: "The task should be given to Mr.
Schtepin to obtain more exact information on thenumber of persons hospitalised and suffering radiation
syndrome, that are in hospitals in Moscow and other
cities of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative
Socialist Republic), the Ukraine, and Byelorussia,
including military personnel and Ministry of Inner
Affairs staff."
Protocol on the 20th of May 1986: "It is reported..
by Mr. Schtepin that over the last 4 days the number ofhospitalised increased by 716 persons. Diagnosis ofradiation syndrome has been confirmed in 211 cases,

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affected people. To a significant extent theysucceeded.

Chernobyl accident, including lung and stomach
cancer, as well as the genitourinary system problems.
The data of the Ukrainian officials state that 148
thousand people have died due to the consequences of
the Chernobyl catastrophe over the ten years after thecatastrophe.
Special attention is needed in the situation ofchildren in the Ukraine. According to the report of theUkrainian Research Institute of Paediatrics, Obstetrics
and Gynaecology of the Ministry of Health Care of theUkraine, the statistical data bear evidence of acontinual increase in infant mortality as compared tothe period before the Chernobyl accident, while in therest of the Ukraine it has even decreased by 6 percent.
In some regions the primary morbidity has increasedby 1.5-2 times over the last ten years. In particularly
affected territories the morbidity of endocrine system,
blood and blood-forming organs, as well as the numberof hereditary malformations, neoplasms haveincreased by 2-3 times. There are areas where theprimary morbidity is 14-20 times higher than the
average rate in the Ukraine. The incidence of childthyroid cancer has significantly increased. While only
2-3 cases of thyroid cancer were registered annually
before 1986, 200 cases were registered in 1989 in theUkraine.
The most widely spread children diseases in theaffected territories are: thyroid hyperplasia of 1st and2nd degrees, diseases of digestive organs, caries,
diseases of throat and nose, diseases of the nervoussystem, anemias, vegetovascular dystonia, diseases ofrespiratory organs, heart diseases, allergic diseases,
and rachitis [3].
The birth rate in the Ukraine has decreased from 15
per 1,000 persons in 1986 to 11.4 at present (the deathrate 13.4). The situation has worsened especially in 75
districts of strict radiation control in the Kiev,
Zhitomir, Chernigov and other (total 11) regions of thecountry. The indices of children mortality in these
districts are 1.6-2 times higher than the Ukrainian level[4, 5].
According to the data of the same institute, medical
examinations of women show increases of different
complications during pregnancy as well as increases in
the number of pathological birth and birth withcomplications. The number of anemias and pregnancy
interruption threats has increased 1.5-2 times. Alreadyduring the first year after the Chernobyl catastrophe, a
two-fold increase in the number of bloodying at birth
was registered (from 3.5 to 7.5 percent). Over thefollowing years this rate has increased to 9.2 percent.
The morbidity has increased for cardiovasculardiseases, diseases of the liver, and neurocirculatory
dystonia by pregnant women in the strict radiation
control districts [6].
Delay of foetus growth is registered in its mainindices. This means the possibility of hypotropia
development.

As the process of democratic transformation began
in the USSR, however, the truth about the real scale ofpopulation irradiation due to the Chernobyl
catastrophe gradually started to emerge. In theparliamentary hearings in the USSR Supreme Council
in 1990, Academician Ilyin, the director of the Instituteof Biophysics, one of those who were concealing thetruth about the health of people in the affected
territories, had to admit under the pressure of deputies'
inquiries and the facts in the affected territories(including mine — A.Ya) that "1.6 million children
received irradiation doses that are worrying us; thedecision should be taken on how to act further [2]." Healso admitted that "if the dose limits were lowered to 7
rem per 35 years (of life — A. Ya.), we would have toincrease the number of 166 thousand people that are
now planned to be relocated approximately by 10times. Relocation of a total of 1.6 million people would
have to be considered. The society must balance all therisks and profits of such an action." As one can see,neither the health of people nor the real state of things
was considered, but only the economic side of theproblem was. The USSR was not able to relocate such
number of irradiated people. Thus, the officials weretrying to conceal the truth about the health of thepopulation from the people itself.

Health state of the people ten years later
The results of studies conducted by conscientious
scientists ten years after the Chernobyl accident arestriking. According to the estimate of the World HealthOrganisation, the number of liquidators - people who
took place in liquidation of the accident consequences- amounts to 800,000. Russian scientists estimate thisnumber as approximately 600,000. Nobody knows theexact figure because, according to the documents thepresent author obtained already in 1989, "Persons who
had taken part in the extermination of the accidentconsequences after the 1st of January 1988 should not
be included in the registry from 1989 by the order ofthe Ministry of Health Care of the Ukrainian SSR."
However, all-union organisations about health carereport that morbidity and mortality increase among theliquidators. They mainly suffer from vegetovascular
dystonia, heart diseases, lung cancer, gastrointerstinal
diseases and leukaemia. According to the data of theUkrainian officials, approximately 8,000 liquidators
have died over the ten years after the Chernobyl
catastrophe. The official data states that a total of2,000 liquidators in Russia have died within the sameperiod. In newspapers this number reaches 50
thousand people.
According to the reports of the Ministry of HealthCare of Belarus, the total morbidity in the mostcontaminated areas of this country has increased by 51
percent in comparison to the period before the106

Health state indices of children in the Zhitomir
region (Ukraine) have significantly worsened over thelast three years. According to the report of theZhitomir official medical authorities, the number ofpremature-born children has grown. Every secondchild in the first year of its life belongs to the risk
group. Only 38 percent of children, born before theChernobyl catastrophe, were found to be healthy. The
morbidity among these children has increased by 27
percent.
The group of children with infant-cerebral
paralysis and oncological diseases has grownsignificantly. In 1992-1994 2 children withbrain-cancer have been registered every year inZhitomir, while in 1994 it was already 8. Thyroid
hyperplasia, autoimmune thyroiditis among theZhitomir children are registered by 4 times as often ascompared to the republican average [7].
In the capital of the Ukraine - Kiev, children
irradiated at the moment of the accident constitute a
special group of population. The morbidity amongchildren up to 14 years was 1,554.5 per 1,000 children(the average rate in the Ukraine is 1,308). One needs tonote the higher morbidity of Kiev children in mental
disorders - 40.2 per 1,000 children (the Ukraine 30.0); diseases of respiratory organs - 995.4 (theUkraine - 743.1); chronic bronchitis - 8.4 (the Ukraine- 4.7); bronchial asthma - 4.6 (the Ukraine -2.8); as
well as in diseases of digestive organs in comparison tothe average Ukrainian rates.
However, a dramatic tendency common in theUkraine, Russia and Belarus should be noted,
particularly in the increase in the number of thyroid
cancer among children. Most of these cases are foundin Belarus. According to the data of the World HealthOrganisation, 21 cases were registered in the period
from 1966 to 1985. After 1986 the number of cases
amounted to 379. Within the period from 1986 to1989, 18 cases have been registered, in 1990 - 29, in
1991 - 59, in 1992 - 66, and 46 cases only in the firsthalf of 1995.
According to the data of the World HealthOrganisation, 680 cases of thyroid cancer amongchildren have been registered in Russia, the Ukraineand Belarus by December 1995. The data of theEuropean Association for Studies of the Thyroid
Gland shows that this number is only the beginning of
the outbreak, and in the next 30 years thousands ofchildren will suffer from thyroid cancer.
The above mentioned data on morbidity andmortality development, especially among the children
residing in the affected territories, testify to the fact
that, in the first days after Chernobyl catastrophe,
millions of people have been subject to irradiation. It isfar beyond thousands of people reported in the secretdocuments of the Operative Group of the Politbureauof the CPSU Central Committee. As time passes moresince the catastrophe at Chernobyl, people will learn
more and more about the results of this catastrophe andits impact on genes of future generations of Russia, theUkraine and Belarus, as well as on the ecology of thewhole planet.
References
1. A. Yaroshinskaya, Chernobyl: Top Secret; Part II,Drugie berega, Moscow, 1991 (in Russian)
2. ibid., Part I.
3. Report of the Ukrainian Research Institute ofPaediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology of theMinistry of Health Care of the Ukraine. 9.02.1994.
Kiev. Author's archive.
4. Letter from the Ministry of Health Care of theUkraine to Suprime Soviet of the Ukraine.
9.02.1994, #4.40-13/16. Kiev. Author's archive.
5. Letter from the Ministry of Health Care of theUkraine to the Heard of National Committee onRadioactive Defence of Ukrainian Population.
9.02.1994. #7.00/50. Kiev. Author's archive.
6. Report by prof. T.Savchenko to National Committeeon Radioactive Defence of Ukrainian Population.
10.06.1994. Author archive.
7. Information by the main children's doctor ofZhitomir city, V.Bashek about health of Zhitomir'schildren. 2.09.1994. (Prepared on requirment ofauthor.) Zhitomir. Author's archive.

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