Press Statement
March 21, 2020
In a letter addressed to Union Health Minister, Govt of India, DG-Indian Council of Medical Research, Secretary, Dept of Chemical & Petrochemicals (Bhopal Cell), Govt of India & to Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh & Principal Secretary, Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief & Rehabilitation, Govt of MP, Bhopal gas survivors organisations have asked the concerned officials to take immediate steps for
identification, testing of medical care of COVID-19 in the population affected by the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal. A copy of the letter has also been sent to the Chairman of Supreme Court appointed
Monitoring Committee for medical rehabilitation of Bhopal gas victims.
The groups have brought on record the data which shows that gas victims are 5 times more vulnerable to COVID-19 than general population and have sought urgent intervention towards providing essential services of testing and critical care to the gas affected population in view of their heightened vulnerability to the COVID – 19 pandemic.
Representatives of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangarsh Morcha, Bhopal Group for Information & Action & Children Against Dow-Carbide have visited all gas relief hospitals & BMHRC main hospital and mini units and have provided photographs which show that the that the concerned authorities have not at all woken up to the urgency of spreading
awareness for prevention of COVID-19. They also said that if urgent steps are not taken by the concerned government authorities, too many gas victims will suffer from COVID – 19 and die from it.
The groups have also suggested critical steps in curbing the spread of the disease by raising awareness in hospitals & in gas affected communities, increasing the facilities for screening & testing & converting one the gas relief hospitals into a fully functional isolation centre with ICU facilities for COVID-19 cases.
| Rashida Bi,
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh 9425688215 |
Nawab Khan,
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha 9165347881 |
Rachna Dhingra, Satinath Sarangi
Bhopal Group for Information and Action 9826167369 |
Nousheen Khan,
Children Against Dow Carbide 9713975671 |
A copy of the letter addressed to the officials is attached here. You can also view it below.
Share this:
