Bhopal Gas victim groups allege BMHRC curtailing key services at mini units, write to ICMR
Bhopal, Aug 6
Four organisations working with survivors of the 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy on Thursday alleged that the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre has discontinued pathology services at all its eight mini units and is now moving to shut down X-ray facilities, affecting access to healthcare for gas victims.
The organisations alleged that pathology laboratories at the mini units have been closed, with equipment and staff shifted to the main BMHRC hospital.
They claimed the move has delayed diagnostic reports, while patients are being turned away on days when the lone nurse posted at a mini unit is unavailable to collect blood samples.
The organisation also alleged that Mini Units 1, 3, 5 and 8 have stopped receiving X-ray films, forcing patients to travel to the main BMHRC hospital for investigations.
According to the organisations, no written order has been issued for discontinuing the services.
"The mini units were established to provide healthcare close to the neighbourhoods where gas victims live. Instead of strengthening them, the management is systematically dismantling essential services," Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA) said.
The organisations have written to the Union Health Ministry, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the BMHRC Director Manisha Shrivastava and the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee, seeking immediate restoration of pathology and X-ray services.
The organisations wrote to the ICMR on August 5, seeking its immediate intervention and alleging that BMHRC had unilaterally shut pathology services at all eight mini units and was moving to discontinue X-ray services, affecting access to healthcare for gas victims.
According to the letter, which is available with IANS, tests such as fasting and post-prandial blood sugar, which were earlier reported on the same day, are now taking up to 48 hours after the pathology laboratories were shifted to the main hospital.
It also alleged that patients are being turned away when no nurse is available at a mini unit and questioned the absence of written orders and records for patients being orally referred to the main hospital for X-rays.
"The management appears to be prioritising procurement of new equipment over uninterrupted patient care. Suspending functional services without ensuring alternatives defeats the very purpose for which the mini units were established," Dhingra said.
She added that BGIA would raise the issue before the Supreme Court during the hearing of its contempt petition scheduled for August 11, alleging that the curtailment of services violated the apex court's directions on providing free and appropriate healthcare to Bhopal gas tragedy survivors.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Why are they dismantling services bit by bit without any written orders? This feels like a backdoor attempt to gradually shut down the mini units completely. The Supreme Court needs to step in immediately. These victims have been fighting for justice since 1984, and this is how they're being treated? Shameful! 😡
I understand the concern, but let's think practically. Maybe the management is consolidating services to improve quality? However, I agree that without proper communication and alternative arrangements, this is unacceptable. The victims should never have to travel far for basic tests. The authorities must address this transparently and ensure no one loses access to healthcare.
40 years on, and these survivors are still fighting for basic dignity. The fact that they have to write to ICMR, Union Health Ministry, and even the Supreme Court for pathology and X-ray services is absolutely ridiculous. The government should be ashamed of itself. These people were poisoned by negligence, and the least we can do is ensure they get proper healthcare without hurdles. 🙏
This is typical bureaucratic mindset - instead of strengthening the system, they're dismantling it. The mini units were created specifically to serve the neighborhoods affected by the tragedy. Now they're making patients wait 48 hours for tests that used to be done same-day? What kind of healthcare system is this? The Monitoring Committee must take serious action.
The saddest part is that these are elderly victims who survived one of the worst industrial disasters in history. They have health complications from the gas exposure
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