Statement of Principles concerning sickle-cell disease No. 109 of 1995 (Cth)

Instrument No.109 of 1995

Statement of Principles

concerning

SICKLE-CELL DISEASE

ICD CODE: 282.6

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
subsection 196B(2)

1.         Being of the view that there is sound medical-scientific evidence that indicates that sickle-cell disease and death from sickle-cell disease can be related to operational service rendered by veterans, peacekeeping service rendered by members of Peacekeeping forces and hazardous service rendered by members of the Forces, the Repatriation Medical Authority determines, under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act1986, that the factor that must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting sickle-cell disease or death from sickle-cell disease with the circumstances of that service, is:

(a)       the inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for sickle-cell disease.

2.         Subject to clause 3 (below) the factor set out in paragraph 1(a) must be related to any service rendered by a person.

3.         The factor set out in paragraph 1(a) applies only where:

(a)       the person’s sickle-cell disease was contracted prior to a period, or part of a period, of service to which the factor is related; and

(b)       the relationship suggested between the sickle-cell disease and the particular service of a person is a relationship set out in paragraph 8(1)(e), 9(1)(e), 70(5)(d), or 70(5A)(d) of the Act.

4.         For the purposes of this Statement of Principles:

“ICD code” means a number assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision, effective date of 1 October 1993, copyrighted by the US Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities, and having the Library of Congress number 77-94472;

“sickle-cell disease” means an hereditary haematological condition, attracting ICD code 282.6, whereby, on deoxygenation, red blood cells containing the haemoglobin Hb S change from bi-concave disk shaped cells to crescent or "sickle" shaped cells.

Dated this       Eighthday of              March1995

The Common Seal of the    )

Repatriation Medical Authority                   )

was affixed to this instrument   )

in the presence of:   )

KEN DONALD

CHAIRMAN