‘BHOPAL GAS VICTIMS ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO VIRUS’

Gas victims wrote to the CM requesting that figures in pending curative petition in Supreme Court be corrected and sought compensation for 5,21,322 for permanent injury caused to them by Union Carbide & Dow Chemical as 75 per cent COVID-19 deaths are of gas victims. These deaths caused by virus infection establishes that after 35 years, the medical condition of these victims is fragile as they have suffered permanent damage due to exposure to Union Carbide’s toxic gases, the gas victims added. Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information & Action (BGIA) said, “Out of the gas victims who died due to COVID-19, 81 per cent had comorbidities as a result of gas exposure. Nearly 75 per cent of the gas victims died within 5 days of hospital stay and 84 per cent gas victims died within 24 hours of hospital admission. That is why we stressed on testing and monitoring high risk gas victims. Despite MP HC order of April 21, directing Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research centre to test gas victims visiting its hospital, Indian Council for Medical Research run hospital turned away several suspected gas victim patients who reported in the casualty ward. This refusal of admission and referring to another government hospital has killed at least 5 gas victims who later on tested positive and the most crucial time was wasted in denying admission to these gas victims. While this criminal negligence continues in BMHRC, ICMR has turned a blind eye to the plight of one of the most vulnerable people.”