Supreme Court has instructed ICMR institutes Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre (BMHRC) and National Institute for Research on Environmental Health (NIREH) & Department of Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief & Rehabilitation, GOMP to ensure COVID-19 testing of all gas victims in view of their vulnerability. It also instructed all three agencies to provide super specialty treatment to gas victims and has asked NIREH to carry out COVID-19 testing as they have all the relevant infrastructure.
Twelve out of 14 COVID-19 deaths in Bhopal are of those who were exposed to toxic gases of Union Carbide in 1984.
“While no steps were taken by the state or central government to address this critical issue 12 COVID-19 deaths in Bhopal are of Bhopal gas victims. Twelve gas victims have died untimely deaths due to criminal negligence of the governments at state & centre as special attention was not paid to their medical needs, said Rashida Bee of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh.
All died in government hospitals which barely has the infrastructure to take care of so many critical cases, she alleged. The analysis of deaths & concrete suggestions was provided to officials of union ministry of health & family welfare, ICMR, hHealth commissioner, GOMP, collector-Bhopal and to many others so that lessons can be learnt and changes could be made accordingly but sadly it looks lik
