Early in their training, medical students learn the importance of listening to patients, developing possible diagnoses and undertaking a science-based investigation to find the most likely explanation for any ailment. Similarly, scientists learn how to identify and address problems by forming hypotheses and using carefully designed experiments to test them. For many problems, we often don’t have a simple answer right away. No condition more starkly illustrates how challenging it can be to help those with complex medical issues than the anomalous health incidents known as Havana syndrome.

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In 2016, U.S. personnel assigned to the American Embassy in Cuba began to report unusual and debilitating symptoms. In some cases, what they were experiencing couldn’t be explained by medical or environmental conditions. Hundreds of Americans serving in other parts of the world also described similar symptoms, including the sudden onset of intense sound, pressure, and pain in the head,

 

often accompanied by loss of balance and cognitive difficulties. Persistent “brain fog” and dizziness have destroyed some sufferers’ ability to work and perform daily activities. Unfortunately, some of the affected have been smeared by colleagues as malingerers, or worse.

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We are physicians and have served our country in various roles, including recently in policy positions at the White House. We are troubled by how these Americans have been treated, both by their doctors and by some in the media. It isn’t the first time patients with puzzling medical conditions have been ignored or dismissed. It took decades to be able to identify and help veterans suffering from Gulf War illness. Physicians must commit to sustained and comprehensive care for the suffering.

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The government must figure out what is causing this. The intelligence community has concluded that most, and perhaps all, cases can be explained by known conditions. The official U.S. position is that no worldwide actor is responsible. Yet both the National Academy of Science and an external panel of experts have determined that some cases could be attributed to exposure to pulsed radio- frequency energy. The expert panel noted that directed energy could be produced by concealable devices. From a military and medical perspective, it would be unwise to dismiss the evidence for directed energy. And it is morally wrong to dismiss the symptoms and suffering of those who have experienced Havana syndrome.

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The doctors caring for these patients need an updated, standardized clinical protocol. Congress should direct the Defense Department and other relevant agencies to update standardized clinical protocols, which are used by all medical professionals caring for these patients. Lawmakers should also provide sustained funding for clinical and scientific research to understand how Havana syndrome works and how to cure it. Some good research has already begun.

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We owe at least this much to the brave men and women who, while serving our nation, suffered real and sometimes devastating injuries. Most important, we believe them.

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Dr. Relman is a professor of medicine and microbiology at Stanford University. He chaired the NAS study and co-chaired the experts panel on anomalous health incidents. Dr. Friedrichs is a retired Air Force major general. He served as Joint Staff surgeon 2019-23 and director of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response, 2023-25.