Cases of these symptoms have also been reported in other countries including Austria, China, Colombia, Georgia, Germany, India, Poland, Russia, Vietnam, and even in the continental US. Image: Black Salmon/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffWhile the cause or causes of “Havana Syndrome” remain unclear, federal employees and their family members have felt the symptoms—such as severe headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus and vertigo—in “workplaces, residences, and even during daily commutes,” the GAO has said.
In a post building on a recent report focused on the military community the GAO said of more than 300 cases qualifying for treatment in the military health care system, about a third were associated with DoD, a similar share associated with the intelligence community, and the rest spread across other agencies including State and the FBI.
“Havana Syndrome was so named by the media because the first widely reported cases occurred there. But cases of these symptoms have also been reported in other countries—including Austria, China, Colombia, Georgia, Germany, India, Poland, Russia, Vietnam, and even in the continental United States,” it said.
GAO noted that one study deemed it very unlikely to be caused by a foreign adversary, but other studied concluded that the symptoms are consistent with radio frequency energy or focused ultrasound. But researchers “agree that quick patient evaluation and treatment is essential for those suffering from Havana Syndrome.”
Although Congress has ordered provision of care through the miliary system, “many patients told us they hadn’t received information on how to use the military health system and what care options were available to them. Some reported not receiving basic information about their assigned medical facility and how to access it. And others reported issues with scheduling appointments and accessing health care records and prescriptions through military health system pharmacies.
DoD has begun developing a “care coordination cell” to manage patient care but has experienced delays, and timeframes for completing it remain uncertain, the posting said. DoD also has developed a trauma registry that could improve the care patients receive, but it contains records only on a tenth of those treated, it said.
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