Thank you, Servando!
After a month-long lock-in at a Spanish hospital and a bold hunger strike, Professor Servando Pérez has won the right to detoxification treatment for his dental mercury poisoning.
As president of the Spanish amalgam-poisoned patient association Mercuriados, and First Vice President of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, Servando is a well-respected leader of the mercury-free dentistry movement. His Spanish court case established that Spain’s public health care system is required to pay for the chelation of amalgam-poisoned patients. When the hospital attempted to subvert the court’s decision, Servando refused to leave the hospital until he received treatment. Harassed and pressured by hospital staff, he declared a hunger strike last week to protest this egregious denial of treatment. People from around the world contacted the hospital administrators and the Spanish government, voicing their support for the Gandhi of the mercury-free dentistry movement.
Finally, the hospital relented late last week. Servando was referred to a toxicologist for treatment – a step hospital administrators should have taken over a month ago. While there remain concerns over the quality of treatment (there is a proper way to remove mercury, be sure to visit the mercury issues pages of www.Cent4Dent.com) he will receive, this achievement is nonetheless a momentous leap forward in the battle to help amalgam victims.
Clara Valverde, President of the Spanish environmental illness association Liga SFC, issued the following statement on behalf of Servando: “We want to thank all the scientists, doctors, associations and individuals who, all over the world, during Servando’s lock-in and hunger strike, have contacted the Spanish and the Galician [provincial] authorities to protest for Servando’s situation and who have shown support for our fight. We hope to continue to count on your support.”
Thank you to everyone who spoke out in support of Servando. And thank you, Servando, for all the work you do for this movement.
– Charlie
Charles G. Brown
President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry
National Counsel, Consumers for Dental Choice
3 August 2010