Good news for some people who have MCS/ES, CFS/ME, and FM
RESCUE PLAN FOR PEOPLE WITH CENTRAL SENSITIVITY SYNDROMES:
THE CITY OF TARRAGONA (CATALONIA, SPAIN) IS THE FIRST MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT THAT IMPLEMENTS IT!
The first municipal government that has stepped forward to implement this plan, is the City of Tarragona Municipal Government (Tarragona is a major city 100 kilometres south of Barcelona). In the plenary session held last November 30th, the “Institutional Declaration of support for people with Central Sensitivity Syndromes” was approved, which consists of a concrete programme of measures. This is a historical step.
In part, the agreement includes:
FIRST. Create and develop a specific support programme for people with CSS and their families in the City of Tarragona, in which the representatives of those affected have to be involved and which will include:
- Carry out (with a yearly update) a diagnosis and census of those affected by CSS in the City of Tarragona, showing what is the actual situation and the specific needs of these patients and their families.
- An intervention protocol for the staff of the Area of Services to Citizens of the Tarragona City Government to look after those with CSS- including a list of economic subsidies for food, first necessity elements, reduced water bill, and home help specific to the needs of these patients.
- Housing protocol for people with CSS, especially those who have MCS and/or EHS, those threatened by eviction or those who are forced to leave their home. This protocol has to include a series of safe social housing (green/white spaces: free of xenobiotics and electromagnetic waves).
- Create green/white spaces in all municipal buildings (free of xenobiotics and electromagnetic waves).
- Eliminate, as much as possible, the use of pesticides in the whole of the municipality. In the case when this is not possible, establish a communication protocol to contact those affected and the press regarding the places and dates of the interventions with preventive advice.
- Training for social workers and educators about CSS, its social, health and economic reality. Elaboration of information and education to increase the knowledge about these illnesses amongst the general population and of the city workers in particular, with the objective of diminishing the stigma that is now present regarding these illnesses.
- Protocol for adapting working conditions of the municipal workers who have CSS with specific measures of support when having a flare up. These would be the measures: work schedule flexibility, encourage work from home through internet (teleworking), reserved parking spaces and include in the collective agreement not deduct the salary of the first 20 days of sick leave.
Read the entire plan here: GOOD NEWS
Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution 
It only takes one rain drop to the start the creation of an ocean. Glad to see one municipality gets it.
This needs to go global!
People in Ontario are trying to get something happening here too.
See:
Recognition Inclusion and Equity
http://www.recognitioninclusionandequity.org/
and
a book, by Ontario Dr John Molot that I highly recommend checking out:
“12,000 Canaries Can’t Be Wrong.”
http://johnmolot.com/books/
A research document by Dr John Molot is here:
Click to access academic-and-clinical-perspectives-final-october-22-2013.pdf
From the GOOD NEWS link where the entire plan is shared:
“Fibromyalgia (FM), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), Multiple Chemical
Sensitivities (MCS) and Electrohypersensitivity (EHS) are organic illnesses under the category of Central Sensitivity Syndromes (CSS).”
If you want to get the same plan implemented where you live, you can contact them for more info, the email address is available there too:
https://afectadasporlosrecortessanitarios.wordpress.com/2015/11/29/good-news-first-rescue-plan-for-people-with-css/
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Linda I have followed you for several years and just wanted to say thank you for all you have done. You have been such a great advocate for
our illnesses. Love the articles and they are always so helpful.
Thanks again, Kay Passmore
Thank you so much Kay… There’s so much more I wish I could do!
More recently from Spain:
Environmental Medicine – A first at Complutense University of Madrid
This month, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), in collaboration with HCWH Europe member Fundación Alborada, offered an optional course on environmental medicine for the first time to medical students.
…
Topics covered in the session included:
Environmental pollutants and alternatives
Chronic exposure to low doses of chemicals
New environmental diseases
The role of civil society
The perspective of patients and doctors
Dr. Adela Pelayo – Director of the Department of Pathological Anatomy at UCM – is the coordinator of this course, alongside Dr. Pilar Muñoz-Calero – an expert in Environmental Medicine in Spain. During the course, clinical cases of patients suffering from consequences of exposure to harmful chemicals were presented and valued highly by students, who showed surprise at the relationship between some diseases and the environment, previously unknown to them.
…
https://noharm-europe.org/articles/news/europe/environmental-medicine-first-complutense-university-madrid
More here (in Spanish)
http://www.fundacion-alborada.org/hospital-de-dia/diagnostico-y-tratamiento/