EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The Ohio Health Department and East Liverpool City Hospital opened the permanent East Palestine Health Clinic last spring and staff there said they are still seeing patients come in with health issues they fear are connected to the train derailment. 

Medical professionals at the East Palestine Health Clinic said they’re seeing fewer patients coming in with complaints like headaches, coughing and skin irritation than they did in the months following the train derailment, but some people said they still have symptoms they never had before the disaster. 

Darren Gamble has been living in his home for 60 years.

“This was my grandparents’ house, where I was born and raised,” he said. “I left temporarily when the train derailed in February and I just got back here in December and I don’t know if it’s safe or not, but here we are.”

Gamble said he came down with symptoms he believes were caused by the derailment and release of toxic chemicals that followed.

“Pretty much the constant burn around my nose and mouth area, and I had some headaches and some tremors,” he said.

The East Palestine Health Clinic said from April through December, about 160 residents came in with symptoms possibly related to the train derailment.

“I know it really affects my wife’s breathing. She has to have one of those inhalers,” Gamble said.

Chiropractor Rick Tsai said he’s been doing what he can to make sure residents are healthy and in good spirits.

“A very large ratio of people that lived in East Palestine would come in with symptoms initially, and then you have to think about the mental aspect and the psychological aspects of what happened as well,” he said.

Tsai said he’s running for Congress and is looking to make sure East Palestine’s situation isn’t forgotten as he continues to see more patients.

As for Gamble, he said he doesn’t know if he’s making the right decision by staying.