HONOLULU — The Red Hill Clinic will start accepting patients suffering from long-term health impacts from the water contamination from the Red Hill fuel leak. The first appointments will be available on Jan. 3, 2023.

What You Need To Know

  • The Red Hill Clinic will treat patients suffering chronic conditions because of the Red Hill fuel leak

  • Patients can start making appointments on Dec. 27

  • A military doctor acknowledged that little is known about the long-term effects of exposure to fuel-tainted water

  • Some conditions people have reported include skin problems, gastrointestinal problems, respiratory and neurological conditions

Starting on Dec. 27, 2022, patients who are enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System can call the TRICARE Nurse Advice Line (NAL) at 800-874-2273 to make appointments.

The clinic will offer expedited referrals to speciality care providers when needed. 

The Red Hill Clinic will operate out of Naval Health Clinic Hawaii’s Branch Health Clinic – Makalapa, located on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The military announced it would open the Red Hill Clinic at a news conference on Nov. 22, shortly after the first anniversary of the fuel spill at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. On Nov. 20, 2021, fuel entered Oahu’s groundwater and impacted 93,000 people that use the Navy’s water system.

During the news conference in November, Dr. Jennifer Espiritu, a Centers of Disease Control-trained medical epidemiologist working for the Defense Health Agency Region Indo-Pacific, acknowledged that there is a lack of medical literature regarding long-term effects of exposure to fuel-tainted water.

“There are very few limited studies on the long-term effects of JP-5 (jet-propellant-5) fuel exposure. So that’s why the Red Hill Clinic … will be working with experts at the Department of Health, the CDC, the rest of DoD … to monitor these symptoms, so we can create a more robust body of knowledge,” said Espiritu.

Some conditions people have reported include skin problems, gastrointestinal problems, respiratory and neurological conditions.

On Thursday, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz called on the Department of Defense to step up efforts to assist people experiencing chronic health conditions because of the Red Hill fuel spill. In the letter, he urged the DoD to provide health care resources and benefits to those affected, including people who do not have access to the Military Health System.

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.

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