The September 11 medical care program restores cancer treatment certifications in the midst of weeks of uncertainty

The World Center Health program is certifying once again diseases linked to terrorist attacks on September 11 after a few chaotic weeks that left some cancer patients, including lifeguards, without access to treatment.

Certification is the process by which the federal program confirms that diseases related to 9/11 qualify for treatment or compensation.

Dr. John Howard, the program administrator, is the only authorized official to approve these certifications, and his status was in doubt for weeks.

Howard was fired in February and was allegedly restored after a public reaction; However, there were signs that it was not full and formally reinstalled, including a freezing of certifications that required their signature as late as Thursday morning.

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In an internal memorandum obtained by ABC News, a head of the Federal Branch of the Department of Health and Human Services wrote: “We can resume processing inscriptions, certifications and letters at this time.”

Dr. David Prezant, medical director of the Fire Department of New York City and director of his World Trade Center health program, confirmed to ABC News that he received the memorandum, and once again he could treat new patients.

The notice indicates a turning point after what Prezant had said they were weeks of silence, confusion and potentially mortal delays.

It also followed a federal order that fired 20% of its staff in April, only a few months after it shot, then reinstated, a series of staff members, including Howard.

The representative Andrew Garbarino, a Republican who represents New York and is a guard dog of Congress for a long time for the program, welcomed the news and promised to ensure that Howard remains completely restored.

“Any question about Dr. Howard’s authorities as administrator has been resolved, as confirmed directly with Dr. Howard himself,” Garbarino wrote to ABC News in a statement. “Now, inscriptions and certifications that remain in Limbo must be addressed immediately.”

“Let me be clear: anything that endangers attention to the responders and survivors of September 11 is indefensible,” the statement added.

Ben Chevat, executive director of Citizens for the extension of James Zadroga law, accredited the coverage of the media and bipartisan pressure for forcing the reversal.

“I’m glad that September 11 responders who need cancer attention will obtain their attention to cancer, but they should never have delayed,” he said.

The restoration of the certification means that the program can now review and approve claims of the responders and survivors who have developed new conditions linked to terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Certification is a key step that allows patients to start treatment or request compensation. Without it, the clinics were forced to postpone care for some of the most sick patients.

“The clinical centers of excellence of the Health Program of the World Trade Center (WTC) and the Nationwide suppliers network continue to provide services to the members of the program at this time,” said a disease control and prevention spokesman in a statement to ABC News. “The program is accepting, reviewing and processing new registration requests and certification applications.”

“It is good that the certifications have resumed, but we have seen how fast things can unravel,” said Chevat. “We still need a total transparency and responsibility to ensure that this does not happen again.”

For now, they have been told that the clinics will see newly processed certifications before May 5 no later than. The program staff and their supporters say they are relieved, but they are still cautious about the future.