At June 15, the local press in Trier reported that the public prosecutor has brought a charge against the German neurologist Dr. Binz, who helped a lot of patients with work related illnesses. He is one of the few in environmental medicine who insist on their findings of toxic injuries. For that they treat him like the messenger who is to be shot.

1989, he won a case against a shoe manufacturer who poisoned his workers. This was the trigger for a long history of attempts to silence him. We already published the incidents in English. Please read the entire article.

Here is the time line:

• 1989 Dr. Binz won a lawsuit in the second instance in Koblenz, which was lost in the first in Trier, against the shoe manufacturer Romika who had poisoned some of his workers.

• 1993 a disciplinary action had been initiated with the allegation, he felt called upon to “pursue comprehensive investigations about the causes of certain disease syndromes”. The disciplinary action had been canceled but a reason for this was never stated. Mr. Spaetgens, a lawyer, just declared “it could have been”.

• 1996 Dr. Binz had been subjected to accusations from the part of the German Berufsgenossenschaften (= BG, Workers Compensation).

• 1997 an action had been brought before the Court of the Medical Profession (a special court of the Doctors’ Association concerned with professional conduct) at the Administration Court in Mainz by the state section of the Doctors Association.

• 1997 he was prohibited to counsel his patients in matters of German social law.

• 1998 there had been a new action before the Court of the Medical Profession, filed by the Doctors Association.

• 1999 the Doctors Association repeated its action to have Dr. Binz’s license suspended. This was tried on accusations of false treatment and neglect of duty.

• 2000 the Court for the Medical Professions decided to discontinue the lawsuit.

As usual, there is no debate on a substantial scientific level. But in the light of the eternally repeated psychogenic thesis, it would not be better for him.

Dr. Binz is charged with fraudulent billing of more than 2,800 patients. The German Association of Panel Doctors (Part of CHI) claims a damage of 100,000 Euros. The one who is known for standing up for his patients is alleged to have enriched himself.

The Story of Dr. Binz reflects the recognition state of environmental and work related illnesses caused by chemicals in Germany. Though Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is coded with T78.4 in the [German ICD-10]2 which became mandatory for billing in 2000, even patient friendly doctors refuse to diagnose MCS. Here’s a recent paper 3 from Australia which exemplifies how medical practitioners become outsiders (quacks) of their profession if they advocate MCS afflicted.

Dr. Binz didn’t dare to diagnose MCS. Recently on June 16, 2010 he admitted in a newspaper interview that he had no option for correct billing. In addition to the question of guilt the court should focus on the situation with the ICD-10. The question is not whether he cheated – the question is why doctors in Germany don’t dare to diagnose MCS according to the German ICD-10 and why health insurances don’t bear the costs if a doctor does. Why is it still possible in Germany to deny the existence of the ICD-code for MCS? (Use the iPhone app to look it up)

This is an international emergency call!

There is solidarity, but Dr. Binz needs more, so please take action!

Send a letter in your native language (they love it!)

1. to the German Federal Ministry of Work, Social Affairs and Health,
2. the executive board of the Panel Doctors Association or
3. to the department of public prosecution

1) Ministerium für Arbeit, Soziales und Gesundheit
Postfach 3180
55021 Mainz
Bundesrepublik Deutschland

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2) Vorstand der Kassenärztlichen Vereinigung
Rheinland-Pfalz
Postfach 2567
55015 Mainz
Bundesrepublik Deutschland

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3) Staatsanwaltschaft
z. Hd. v. Dr. Jürgen Brauer
Irminenfreihof 10
54290 Trier
Bundesrepublik Deutschland

If you don’t want to write to German officials you may write to the press in Germany. You also can try to point your story to the press.

Here are some addresses for Germany:

taz
Rudi-Dutschke-Straße 23
10969 Berlin
Bundesrepublik Deutschland
email form: http://taz.de/6/kontakt/

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der Freitag Mediengesellschaft mbh & Co. KG
Hegelplatz 1
10117 Berlin
Bundesrepublik Deutschland
email form: http://www.freitag.de/kontakt

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Zeitverlag Gerd Bucerius GmbH & Co. KG
Pressehaus
Buceriusstraße, Eingang Speersort 1
20095 Hamburg
Bundesrepublik Deutschland
email: zeitiminternet(at)zeit.de

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Frankfurter Rundschau
60266 Frankfurt am Main
Karl-Gerold-Platz 1
Bundesrepublik Deutschland
60594 Frankfurt am Main
mail: online(at)fr-online.de

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Süddeutsche Zeitung GmbH
Hultschiner Straße 8
81677 München
Bundesrepublik Deutschland
email: redaktion(at)sueddeutsche.de

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Reuters Deutschland
News-Center Berlin
Schiffbauerdamm 22
10117 Berlin
Bundesrepublik Deutschland

email form

Please twitter and post in facebook and on other places too.

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Authors: BrunO Zacke, Silvia K. Müller, CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network, 28. Juni 2010

Related Article: Mounting Actions against Environmental Medicine Practitioners

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 and is filed under Chemical Exposure, Diagnosis Chemical Injury, Environmental Exposure, Workplace Exposure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or Trackback from your own site.