Asthma Tied to Shelter

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Asthma Tied to Shelter

By

STAFF WRITER

November 20, 2002

Asthma is widespread among children in a city homeless shelter in southern

Queens - and five youngsters had to be rushed to the emergency room in the

past week because of the severe breathing problems, a doctor said yesterday.

Dr. Hadi Jabar said he found the problems during the past week when he

examined homeless children staying at the former Best Western motel near

Kennedy Airport.

" There is a very, very big incidence of asthma there, " said Jabar, the

director of the Pediatric Asthma Center of New York Hospital Medical Center

of Queens.

He said he took his mobile asthma testing van to the shelter last week at

the request of Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and had planned to

spend a couple of hours checking patients.

" We were supposed to be there for a few hours, but I had no idea there was

so many asthmatics there, " he said.

" I planned to see 12 patients a week. We saw 60 last week and admitted five

[to the emergency room]. I had to call an ambulance. One was an eight-month

old, " he said.

He said most of the cases were so severe he ordered inhaled steroids as the

treatment, the strongest form of inhalation therapy.

The city's Department of Homeless Services said it was working with the

operator of the shelter, the Salvation Army, to address any health problems

at the facility.

Banks, a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society, said yesterday that the

failure to treat asthma in young shelter residents led to a lawsuit against

the city a couple of years ago.

" Past studies have found that asthma is very prevalent in homeless shelters.

We are on the verge of a settlement with the city to provide more services, "

Banks said.

" Clearly, what the doctor found is the sort of conditions that led to our

lawsuit, " Banks said.

Both Banks and Jabar said in separate interviews that the stress of moving

families from shelter to shelter can trigger asthma attacks.

" It's one of the problems in moving about, having multiple shelter

placements. Just the constant moving becomes a barrier to getting medical

care, " Banks said.

In addition to the stress, Jabar said, the physical conditions at the hotel

can induce attacks. The draperies in the rooms are heavy and have three

layers, becoming a nesting place for dust and mold spores, he said.

And sealed windows mean that families cannot get get fresh air into the

room, he said.

City spokesman Jim said the Salvation Army had already started work

on a program to replace the sealed windows with ones that open.

" At this point, we're collecting facts, " said. " If adjustments are

needed, they will be made. "

Copyright © 2002, Newsday, Inc.