Category Archives: News Articles on Bhopal & Dow Chemical

News articles published about the 1984 disaster and the Bhopal campaign

List of Medical Headlines 1984-2004

1984

6/12/84 More deaths likely in Bhopal: US Experts Times of India
6/12/84 Massive relief work on Free Press
7/12/84 No risk of total blindness: Prof Madan Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
7/12/84 Medicines worth Rs 7 lakh used Free Press
9/12/84 People exposed to MIC may suffer neurological disorders Patriot
10/12/84 Protest rally against leakage tragedy Free Press
10/12/84 Widespread scare about after-effects Times of India
11/12/84 IMA opens medical centres Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
11/12/84 Many gas victims have chest pain: American let inside plant Hindustan Times
12/12/84 Gas victims having breathing trouble, burning feeling in eyes Patriot
13/12/84 Relief work inadequate Economic Times
13/12/84 Bhopal doctors end strike Statesman
13/12/84 Many complaints from treated gas victims Times of India
13/12/84 Ban research from foreign agencies Free Press
14/12/84 Gas victims rally US embassy National Herald
14/12/84 An Indian city full of fear, exodus empties a hospital New York Times
14/12/84 Relief for gas victims on Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
18/12/84 Medical response to crisis in Bhopal wins praise New York Times

1985

8/1/85 Gas front threatens intensified agitation Free Press
10/1/85 Gas victims demonstration Free Press
13/1/85 Hazards of MIC little known: Ramalingaswamy Free Press
14/1/85 Long term gas effects unknown Free Press
– / – Medical dimension of Bhopal Magazine
25/2/85 Gas victims not yet cured Free Press Journal
20/3/85 First baby after gas tragedy dies in 40 hours Times of India
26/3/85 Carbide misleads on MIC Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
21/3/85 No short term cure for MIC victims Indian Express
27/3/85 Appalling state of relief work Times of India
29/3/85 Disabling and incurable ailments still afflict thousands in Bhopal New York Times
9/4/85 Doctors in India disagree on drug New York Times
7/5/85 Significant findings on gas victims Times of India
7/5/85 MIC caused hemoglobin change Express News
7/5/85 Lungs of 28% of Bhopal gas victims damaged Times of India
7/5/85 Monitoring health effects of gas Patriot
7/5/85 MIC caused haemoglobin change Express News
12/5/85 Bhopal citizens suffer MIC contamination in water Patriot
12/5/85 MIC still found in Bhopal residents Free Press
12/5/85 MIC in blood of Bhopal residents Press Trust India
13/5/85 Health of 2.5 lakh Bhopal victims still alarming Free Press Journal
19/5/85 Police beat up Carbide victims Times of India
21/5/85 MIC victims not being detoxified in spite of cyanide poisoning Patriot
27/5/85 MP admits 77 gas babies death Hindustan Times
1/6/85 Mental disorders in gas victims Hindustan Times
2/6/85 Bhopal now: suffering and secrecy Sunday Observer
3/6/85 Neurosis afflicts Bhopal gas victims Indian Express
4/6/85 Gas victims suffering from mental disorder Deccan Herald
6/6/85 Cops beat up MIC victims in rally Hindustan Times
15/6/85 People’s clinic gains popularity Times of India
19/6/85 Medical panel soon to aid gas victims Deccan Herald
19/6/85 Government panel to help gas victims Indian Express
21/6/85 Carbide buys up Bhopal doctors Indian Express
22/6/85 No let-up in Bhopal infant deaths Indian Express
23/6/85 Government hostility to voluntary groups in Bhopal deplored Patriot
25/6/85 Bhopal gas victims show no sign of improvement Hindustan Times
27/6/85 Bhopal victims take out morcha Indian Express
27/6/85 Police demolish clinic, hand records to Carbide Patriot
27/6/85 MP panel condemns doctors’ harassment Indian Express
28/6/85 Police repression of gas victims in Bhopal press release
28/6/85 Poison gas at MIC rally: cops Hindustan Times
29/6/85 Bhopal disaster: release of protesters demanded The Statesman
29/6/85 A social worker’s release sought Times of India
29/6/85 Bhopal disaster: release of protesters demanded The Statesman
30/6/85 MP police to check out detainees’ rally Indian Express
1/7/85 People still dying due to MIC exposure Hindustan Times
1/7/85 Killer gas shows its after-effects The Patriot
15/7/85 Mobile clinic for gas victims started Hindustan Times
22/7/85 Dharna for gas tragedy victims Hindustan Times
22/7/85 New Bhopal Dispute: Cyanide poisoning of victims claimed News of the week
22/7/85 No let-up in Bhopal infant deaths The Telegraph
27/8/85 NBC report on Bhopal relief repudiated Indian Express
26/8/85 Better medical facilities ordered for MIC victims Patriot
1/12/85 A year later, health of many in Bhopal still in question The Tribune
9/12/85 Trauma haunts Bhopal children Times of India
11/12/85 Emotional imbalance in gas-affected kids Express

1986

1/1/86 Meet to discuss treatment of gas-hit Indian Express
4/1/86 ICMR settles thiosulphate controversy Indian Express
31/1/86 Medical check-up of gas-hit on Free Press
6/2/86 Medical treatment for gas-hit women sought Free Press
12/2/86 MIC may lead to mental retardation Free Press Journal
17/2/86 Bhopal victims face “lasting” injuries Free Press Journal
9/8/86 Commission to study gas leak effects Patriot
4/9/86 Gas relief activists amidst controversy Chronicle
6/9/86 One held for recording meet Dainik Bhaskar
6/9/86 Gas tragedy research or spying Free Press Journal
6/9/86 Lung damage to gas victims long-term Times of India
7/9/86 Spying accused remanded to police custody Free Press Journal
7/9/86 Activists of Bhopal group arrested Patriot
8/9/86 Bhopal action group activists detained The Statesman
8/9/86 Two held for spying against Carbide victims Hindustan Times
8/9/86 Bhopal police change charge against spy Times of India
9/9/86 Bhopal arrests evoke sharp protests Statesman
9/9/86 Arrest of “spies” condemned Free Press Journal
10/9/86 Arrest of two activists in Bhopal flawed Indian Express
11/9/86 Govt harassing civil rights activists Free Press Journal
11/9/86 CID crackdown on Bhopal activists Indian Express
11/9/86 Bhopal Group fears more arrests Times of India
12/9/86 Morcha demands arrest of UCC informers Dainik Bhaskar
13/9/86 Pointless arrest Indian Express
13/9/86 Rendering the helpers helpless Times of India
13/9/86 Arrest of volunteers in Bhopal condemned The Statesman
14/9/86 Youth’s arrest in Bhopal criticized The Statesman
15/9/86 Bhopal voluntary work adversely affected Indian Express
16/9/86 City gas activists being harassed Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
16/9/86 Doubts over relief work by Red Cross in Bhopal Patriot
17/9/86 Doubts over relief work by Red Cross in Bhopal Patriot
27/11/86 Sodium thiosulphate may still be clinically useful Free Press
5/12/86 Government still in dark about death figures Bhaskar News

1987

26/4/87 Oxygen hunger – main cause of gas victims’ trouble Dainik Bhaskar
3/6/87 Morcha leader puts MIC deaths at 20.000 City Bhaskar
14/8/87 No sops for hapless Carbide victims Dainik Bhaskar
28/8/87 Panel fears presence of toxic substances in victims Patriot
28/10/87 Toxins present in gas victims’ bodies’ Times of India
16/11/87 Medical documentation of gas victims getting ready The Hindu
22/12/87 Central team on gas relief arrives Dainik Bhaskar

1988

4/7/88 Medical panel on gas victims mooted Indian Express
4/9/88 SC urged to set up medical cell for Bhopal victims Patriot
4/9/88 Court asked to set up rehabilitation panel The Statesman
29/11/88 Bhopal victims still suffering The Hindustan Times
3/12/88 General health declines Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
3/12/88 Extensive efforts to rehabilitate gas-hit underway Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
3/12/88 Gas leak claimed 3,330 lives so far Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
3/12/88 After the disaster Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
3/12/88 Medical documentation by April Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
4/12/88 Gas victims, a depressed lot Times of India
4/12/88 Vital drug being denied to Bhopal gas victims Patriot
4/12/88 Behavioral changes in victims Times of India
5/12/88 Research on MIC’s effects is crucial for the victims Times of India
6/12/88 60,000 MIC gas victims show no sign of improvement Patriot
8/12/88 Gas victims getting best possible medical aid: Arjun Singh Patriot
8/12/88 Toxicology studies at Bhopal The Hindu
13/12/88 Cyanide in MIC confirmed Times of India

1989

14/5/89 Of mice and men: What are the implications of the medical studies… Patriot
2/6/89 Doctors fail to get their salaries Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
25/6/89 Bhopal marchers stranded at Agra Times of India
25/7/89 MIC deaths toll over 3,525 The Hindustan Times 
5/8/89 Govt. alerts gas dept on relief Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
5/9/89 Bhopal grant for still births Hindustan Times
9/9/89 MIC may have damaged immune systems Statesman
10/9/89 MIC analysis delaying probe Indian Express
10/9/89 MIC victims don’t need sodium drug Hindustan Times
15/9/89 Bhopal gas victims: Treatment and cure The Illustrated Weekly of India
17/9/89 Gas victims need 5 to 10 more years’ treatment The Hindu
18/9/89 361 abortions, 22 stillborn Carbide’s parting gift The Patriot
29/9/89 Bhopal officials hindering de-toxifying plan Times of India
5/12/89 Cyanide in MIC confirmed Times of India

1990

29/1/90 Illness afflicts MIC victims Hindustan Times
3/4/90 Gas leak study team in a quandry Times of India
4/4/90 ICMR researchers being terminated Patriot
5/4/90 ICMR staff in Bhopal facing termination threat Indian Express
16/5/90 Toxic water found around UCC plant Times of India
21/7/90 Medical tests for Bhopal victims “unreliable” Sunday Observer, Delhi
30/10/90 Unending hell for gas leak victims Times of India
13/11/90 Victims sore over Govt apathy Indian Express
14/11/90 Bhopal victims air woes to PM Times of India
24/11/90 Medical categorization unscientific Statesman
25/11/90 How killer MIC lives on in Bhopal The Economic Times
30/11/90 Gas leak victims dying even today: Jabbar Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
30/11/90 Bhopal: Lingering effects of MIC The Business and Political Observer
30/11/90 Doubts aired about medical categorization Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
1/12/90 Grim prospect of MIC toxicity Hindustan Times

1991

1/1/91 The survivors of Bhopal suffer still nine years later Inquirer
2/1/91 Toxic substances still present in Bhopal Indian Express
15/1/91 Govt claims lot has been done for the Carbide gas victims Hindustan Times
15/1/91 Mass campaign for gas victims Hindustan Times
4/2/91 A transfer that hit Bhopal gas victims Hindustan Times
5/2/91 Bhopal’s MIC toll now over 4,000 Hindustan Times
18/3/91 Exposure to MIC can cause cancer: Dr Patel National Mail
7/6/91 Special medical camp at Gandhi Nagar National Mail
31/7/91 Their fight for justice has no end The Statesman
17/10/91 UCC funds for hospital in Bhopal Times of India
21/10/91 Row over hospital for gas victims Hindustan Times
22/11/91 Meeting reviews medical facilities for gas victims Free Press
30/11/91 Gas victims continue to die Free Press
3/12/91 Modern equipments to cure gas victims National Mail
3/12/91 Ayurvedic cure for gas-hit Free Press
15/12/91 Medical categorization misleading: Jabbar Free Press
16/12/91 Gas victims suffer from serious diseases Free Press
18/12/91 Gas victims protest at lack of relief Hindustan Times

1992

13/1/92 30,000 died in Bhopal gas tragedy Hindustan Times
13/1/92 Bhopal victims question medical data The Hindu
12/2/92 Chemical “taxi” spread Bhopal toxin The Hindu
10/4/92 Bending the law for drug companies The Telegraph
16/4/92 Carbide to build hospital in Bhopal The Pioneer
16/4/92 UCC to raise the funds for Bhopal hospital Patriot
17/4/92 Bhopal victims “no” to hospital The Pioneer
25/7/92 Gas disaster claimants not medically tested The Pioneer
26/7/92 Five MIC victims dying every week Free Press

1993

3/6/93 Infant mortality rate highest in State, says UNICEF Dr Free Press
21/6/93 Condition of gas-hit worse during President’s rule Free Press

1994

9/1/94 Global medical team for Bhopal gas victims Pioneer
9/1/94 International Commission formed to help gas victims The Hindu
12/1/94 Medical team to meet gas-hit Times of India
20/1/94 Govt urged to speed up gas victims’ rehabilitation Free Press
22/1/94 Health care of gas victims inadequate Times of India
22/1/94 Panel suggest better medicare for Bhopal gas victims Pioneer
22/1/94 Panel for new health system for gas victims The Hindu
22/1/94 Bhopal survey team gropes for an answer Indian Express
22/1/94 Most Bhopal gas victims beyond permanent recovery: Experts Observer
22/1/94 Medical panel’s Bhopal visit proves futile Times of India
23/1/94 Carbide was cagey about effects of gas The Pioneer
25/1/94 Bhopal health care “inadequate” Hindustan Times
25/1/94 Bhopal data needs urgent revamp The Hindu
31/1/94 Medicos suggest new treatment for gas victims Telegraph
13/2/94 Survivors of Bhopal’s gas disaster suffer still The Philadelphia Inquirer
15/2/94 SC allows sale of UCC shares to raise money for hospital Business Observer
10/4/94 Sangathan to launch indefinite dharna Free Press
6/5/94 Protest against irregularities in hospitals for gas-affected Free Press
12/5/94 Hospital plan for Bhopal gas victims in jeopardy Business Standard
12/5/94 Affect UCIL hospital Times of India
14/5/94 Carbide by building a hospital, is likely to go scot-free Asian Age
7/6/94 Plea to provide water free from toxin Free Press
29/9/94 Private sector shut out of Bhopal hospital project Business Standard
20/11/94 Bhopal struck by wave of “chemical Aids” The Observer, London
27/11/94 Relief is not the remedy Hindustan Times
27/11/94 Bhopal is big business The Hindustan Times
28/11/94 Bhopal gas leak victims still crying out for justice The Rising, Nepal
30/11/94 Disaster’s children condemned to carry life long scars Business Standard
1/12/94 10 years later, cancer looms over survivors of Bhopal gas tragedy Asian Age
2/12/94 Nightmare continues for Bhopal gas victims The Hindu
2/12/94 They shed the veil to demand their rights Philadelphia Inquirer
2/12/94 ICMR indifferent to research work on gas victims Free Press
3/12/94 ICMR unit to pack up? Chronicle
4/12/94 Schemes, medical aid for gas-hit soon: CM Free Press
4/12/94 Bhopal – the cover-up continues Times of India Sunday Review
12/12/94 Relief eludes the midnight’s children Indian Express
17/12/94 Govt to run ICMR Bhopal Free Press
24/12/94 Gas victims take out huge rally National Mail

1995

5/1/95 Gas victims deprived of relief National Mail
6/1/95 Gas victims feel forlorn as medical relief not provided National Mail
13/1/95 Claim directorate refuses medical check up National Mail
22/1/95 Bhopal still sitting on a volcano! Chronicle
15/2/95 Departmental dispute delays hospital building opening National Mail
16/2/95 Separate department for gas victims’ rehabilitation likely National Mail
21/3/95 Keer asks Sir Ian to speed up work for gas victims’ hospital National Mail
21/4/95 Gas affected kids hold demonstration National Mail
13/5/95 New generation will now be unscathed by airborne death National Mail
22/5/95 Sangathan alleges large-scale pilferage in medicine purchase National Mail
23/5/95 Patients remain foodless due to funds shortage National Mail
25/5/95 Gas affected kids sent to Delhi for heart surgery National Mail
27/5/95 Move to close down MIC ward will spell doom for patients
16/6/95 Ray of hope for Bhopal Gas victims Indian Express
21/6/95 Successful heart surgery of gas-affected boy National Mail
25/6/95 Gas victims demonstrate National Mail
30/6/95 Gas-hit children to be treated in Delhi National Mail
27/7/95 Gas hit women, children to demonstrate National Mail
29/8/95 Gas victims to hold demonstration National Mail
12/9/95 New treatment for gas victims claimed National Mail
18/10/95 17 gas affected report daily National Mail
20/10/95 Medicalrehabilitation panel for gas victims welcomed National Mail
28/11/95 3 new hospitals for gas victims soon National Mail
29/11/95 Health camps on anniversary of gas tragedy National Mail
2/12/95 Gas victims still fight diseases The Times of India
2/12/95 SC asks UCC to clear stand on hospital The Pioneer
3/12/95 Massive cover up operations still continuing National Mail
3/12/95 Re-victimization of the gas victims National Mail
7/12/95 Medical camps for gas victims held National Mail

1996

14/1/96 Transparency thy name is Trust National Mail
5/2/96 Gas exposure bane of Bhopal survivors: Report The Pioneer
7/2/96 Union Carbide will not provide more funds for hospital Times of India
9/2/96 UCCL bid to escape hospital fund flayed National Mail
12/2/96 Rs 1.5 cr worth medicines distributed to gas victims National Mail
12.2/96 Gas-hit not getting suitable treatment, says Jabbar National Mail
1/3/96 IMCB role on gas victims questioned Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
4/3/96 Sambhavna Trust plans long-term projects for welfare of gas-hit National Mail
4/3/96 “Verbal Autopsy” for gas-hit mooted Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
28/3/96 Longterm effects of Bhopal gas leak Pioneer
29/3/96 Efforts to improve maintenance of medicines at relief hospitals National Mail
30/9/96 Elderly gas-affected patients to get treatment at home National Mail
30/9/96 Will ban on private practice benefit gas-hit? National Mail
13/10/96 Number of gas patients at govt hospitals on the increase National Mail
14/10/96 Jabbar alleges irregularities in purchase of medicines National Mail
14/11/96 3 more gas-hit kids being sent to Delhi National Mail
25/11/96 New 100-bed hospital for gas victims to be opened National Mail
28/11/96 Aged gas victims to get medical help at doors National Mail
29/11/96 Seminar on medical aspects of Carbide disaster National Mail
30/11/96 Govt urged to oversee hospital building for gas-hit National Mail
2/12/96 Struggling to breath for the 13th year National Mail
3/12/96 The 1984 Union Carbide Toxic-Gas disaster killed 10,000 Village Voice
– /12/96 “I see an opportunity every time a child runs away from home” Times of India
3/12/96 Medical situation still grim, says Sangathan National Mail
6/12/96 Doctors still lack data on Bhopal crisis National Mail
9/12/96 Commission surveys Bhopal medical effects Chemical and Engineering News
12/12/96 Bhopal tragedy: The unpaid human costs of globalization Times of India
16/12/96 Bhopal victims still have nightmares Times of India

1997

2/2/97 Bhopal still breathes uneasy National Mail
3/2/97 Handing over of Red Cross dispensaries to Bhopal Hospital Trust flayed National Mail
23/3/97 Panel to manage gas relief hospitals National Mail
– / – Hospitals for gas-hit on verge of closure National Mail
11/4/97 Red Cross to seek compensation from Bhopal Hospital Trust National Mail
7/5/97 Seminar on obstetric problems for gas hit held Madhya Pradesh. Chronicle
7/5/97 Seminar on MIC-related gynaec problems held National Mail
8/5/97 Bhopal victims face sterility The Telegraph, Calcutta
19/7/97 Fifty thousand Bhopalites left “permanently damaged” National Mail
29/7/97 One-third JP Nagar residents suffer from eye problems National Mail
29/7/97 Patients in pathetic condition National Mail
29/7/97 Protest against delay in starting hospital National Mail
1/8/97 2 days medicines left in gas relief hospitals National Mail
8/9/97 Hospitals for gas victims ailing, need medicines National Mail
11/9/97 Parliamentary panel inspects gas relief hospitals National Mail
17/9/97 Seminar on Ayurvedic treatment of diseases caused by Carbide’s gas National Mail
22/9/97 Ayurvedic treatment may give relief to gas afflictedexperts National Mail 
24/9/97 Engg, medical college proposed at Bhopal under gas relief dept National Mail
26/9/97 Govt statement misleading, say gas relief advisory-body members National Mail
28/9/97 Gas victims demonstrate, CM assures early action National Mail
29/9/97 Autonomous body to monitor medical-rehabilitation of gas hit National Mail
1/10/97 Ayurvedic medicine for gas hit National Mail
2/10/97 Govt, Australian system to set up hospital of global standard National Mail
9/10/97 “Putting up incinerators in hospitals hazardous” Free Press
15/10/97 Health-care in MP on verge of collapse! National Mail
18/10/97 City to have AIIMS like hospital National Mail
18/10/97 Camp for Asthma, MIC affected patients ends National Mail
18/10/97 MIC and Bhopal Tragedy, 1984 National Mail
19/10/97 Rs 60-crore hospital for Bhopal victims Pioneer, Delhi
24/10/97 Gas NGOs move rights panel for medicines National Mail
27/10/97 PWC of JP Hospital utilizes funds wisely National Mail
27/10/97 MPHRC help sought for gas leak survivors Pioneer, Delhi
6/11/97 Govt to appoint doctors in gas relief hospitals National Mail
18/11/97 Patients welfare panels in all gas relief hospitals National Mail
19/11/97 Indira Gandhi hospital’s inauguration postponed National Mail
21/11/97 Gas victims form human chain National Mail
3/12/97 4000 gas-hit patients visit hospitals daily National Mail
4/12/97 Bhopal marks “holocaust” The Pioneer, Delhi
4/12/97 Only two months medicine in govt hospitals: Govt National Mail
20/12/97 Health camp for gas victims from Dec 20 National Mail
29/12/97 UCC makes false propaganda about poisonous effects of MIC National Mail

1998

11/2/98 Gynae disorders show in Bhopal victims The Tribune, Chandigarh
13/2/98 Gas victims, destitutes demonstrate at CM’s house National Mail
24/4/98 Gas patients to get treatment at JLN hospital National Mail
26/4/98 Sambhavna clinic’s health camp ends National Mail
6/5/98 Central team visits Bhopal Hospital Trust National Mail
9/5/98 CM visits hospital to see mishap victims National Mail
10/5/98 Bhopal Hospital Trust case to reopen on July 20 Pioneer, Delhi
9/6/98 Govt trying to hush up bungling in drug purchase National Mail
18/6/98 Cancer hospital fails at diagnosis Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
22/7/98 Human Rights panel members visit gas relief hospitals National Mail
6/9/98 Meeting of Bhopal Memorial Hospital trust held National Mail
10/9/98 Bid to wind up relief initiative in Bhopal The Hindu
20/9/98 Annual day of Sambhavna clinic today National Mail
1/10/98 Hazardous drug prescription is common Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
5/10/98 Gas victims stage demonstration at IG Hospital National Mail
7/10/98 Stress on awareness about rational drug use National Mail
7/10/98 Medicine distributed to MIC victims National Mail
28/11/98 3,000 Bhopal gas victims to take out rally on Nov. 30 The Hindu
5/12/98 Bhopal gas victims stage demonstration The Hindu
12/12/98 Arif takes initiative to set up mental hospital National Mail

1999

8/1/99 The Living Death Times of India
14/1/99 4 Red Cross hospitals to be handed over to Bhopal Medical Trust National Mail
20/1/99 Living Death Times of India
13/3/99 Entire Bhopal was affected by MIC: Dr Bhatnagar today National Mail
2/5/99 High quality medicines to be provided to gas victims Mail News Service
16/5/99 Gas victims protest mismanagement in gas relief hospitals National Mail
18/5/99 Gas victims running from pillar to post for treatment National Mail
25/5/99 Aqueel inspects gas relief hospitals National Mail
30/5/99 Magazine claims Bhopal gas victims biologically affected The Hindustan Times
31/5/99 Gas-affected women suffering form gynec problems Free Press
1/6/99 Storm in Bhopal over ad on gas-hit girls The Times of India
7/6/99 Arif Aqueel visits gas relief hospitals National Mail
14/6/99 JLN cancer hospital stops admission of more gas victims National Mail
26/7/99 JD activists to stage dharna in support of gas victims National Mail
28/7/99 Plea for treatment to gas affected cancer patients National Mail
3/9/99 “Sambhavna” must rise to the challenge: Behar Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
9/9/99 Attention drawn towards woes of cancer patients National Mail
30/10/99 Medico legal aspects of Bhopal aerosol tragedy 1984 National Mail
2/11/99 Gas relief employees allege harassment Chronicle
2/12/99 Long-term effect of gas tragedy highlighted National Mail
2/12/99 Legacy of gas disaster National Mail
2/12/99 Govt committed to cause of gas-hit: Arif Aqueel Chronicle
3/12/99 Programmes, rally to mark anniversary functions Free Press
3/12/99 Trauma of gas victims not yet over Chronicle
3/12/99 Night when City turned into gas chamber remembered National Mail
3/12/99 Survivors plead again for long-pending demands Central Chronicle
3/12/99 On XVth anniversary of UCIL holocaust Bhopal to remember victims National Mail
3/12/99 Gas victims condition from bad to worse National Mail
4/12/99 Health problem continue to plague gas leak victims The Hindu
4/12/99 Bhopal victims mark ’84 tragedy with protest rallies The Asian Age
10/12/99 Gas victims demonstrate Chronicle
11/12/99 Suffering increases with time for Bhopal mishap survivors Times of India

2000

15/1/00 Kamla Nehru Gas Hospital opens Chronicle
5/3/00 High use of addictive, doubtful drugs at Carbide hospital Chronicle
29/4/00 Bhopal gas leak victims drink toxic water The Hindu, Delhi
29/5/00 Handpump water plays havoc on Islam Nagar residents National Mail
9/6/00 Medical authorities accused of misusing gas victims’ funds National Mail
24/6/00 Hamidia gasps for ventilators Hindustan Times
26/6/00 Gas hospital in pathetic state Hindustan Times
8/7/00 Pvt hospitals: Prices are a rave but the treatment is not Hindustan Times
15/7/00 Gas relief doctors kept busy by their own clinics Hindustan Times
6/8/00 Inhuman condition at hospitals annoys MPHRC team National Mail
12/8/00 Make Bhopal Memorial Hospital accounts public: Jabbar Central Chronicle 
30/8/00 CM visits Bhopal Trust Hospital National Mail
1/10/00 Hard times ahead for Bhopal gas victims The Hindu, Delhi
10/11/00 City hospitals hazardous, waste disposal pathetic Chronicle
12/11/00 Doctors never visit hospitals on holidays Central Chronicle
13/11/00 New hospitals at the cost of existing ones Chronicle
30/11/00 Medical camps for gas-hit Chronicle
1/12/00 Despite huge spending, gas victims woes continue Chronicle
2/12/00 Specialist medicare for Bhopal gas victims The Hindu
2/12/00 Miseries of gas survivors continue Chronicle
4/12/00 People still suffering from aftermath of Bhopal gas disaster Free Press

2001

24/1/01 Lapierre to inaugurate clinic for gas victims on Jan 26 The Hitvad Jabalpur
25/1/01 Lapierre to open Sambhavna clinic for women The Hindustan Times
23/2/01 Special eye camp for gas victims begins Chronicle
3/3/01 17 years on, Bhopal victims await justice Mid-Day, Mumbai
2/5/01 Gas victims face untold miseries Central Chronicle
3/5/01 Hamidia hospital has cheapest budget Central Chronicle
6/6/01 Victims denied treatment at Bhopal Trust Hospital: Jabbar The Hindustan Times
6/6/01 1984 gas tragedy victims being ignored The Times of India
6/6/01 Basic medical facilities not being provided at hospital Free Press
6/6/01 BMTH ignoring gas victims Chronicle
22/6/01 BMHRC can’t treat all gas victims Hindustan Times
24/6/01 Hospital denies neglect of gas tragedy victims The Times of India
10/7/01 Gas victims stage demo against hospital staff Hindustan Times
10/7/01 Gas victims protest against BMHT Chronicle
16/7/01 BMH should treat patients referred by Gas Relief DeptChronicle
8/8/01 Exposure to polluted water cause skin ailments Chronicle
9/8/01 Skin diseases due to polluted water Chronicle
11/8/01 Fraud alleged in Bhopal hospital construction The Hindu
13/9/01 Bhopal Memorial Hospital failed gas victims Hindustan Times
25/9/01 29 doctors shifted to Gas Relief dept Central Chronicle
11/10/01 24,000 gas-hit admitted to relief hospital annually Hindustan Times
26/11/01 Gas victims drinking highly contaminated water Central Chronicle
27/11/01 Kids, youths worst sufferers of gas disaster Central Chronicle
27/11/01 Bhopal gas tragedy victims continue to suffer in silence The Times of India
2/12/01 Gas victims continue to suffer Madhya Pradesh Chronicle
3/12/01 Industrial disaster victims still battle health effects Central Chronicle
3/12/01 Gas victims continue to suffer Central Chronicle
3/12/01 Endless woes haunt gas victims Central Chronicle
3/12/01 The continuing medical disaster in Bhopal The Hindu
4/12/01 Water around Carbide plant still toxic The Times of India
4/12/01 First killer gas, now poison water haunts Bhopal victims The Times of India
4/12/01 The continuing medical disaster in Bhopal The Hindu
6/12/01 High incidence of diseases in gas-hit areas of Bhopal Deccan Herald
26/12/01 Bhopal gas victims to get free medicare Indian Express

2002

9/2/02 Gas tragedy continues to haunt Bhopal Free Press Journal
17/2/02 The tragedy continues The Tribune
1/7/02 Bhopal victims gassed forever Hindustan Times
10/7/02 Bhopal gas survivors still struggling Press Trust of India
10/7/02 Bhopal gas victims: No end to woes Free Press Journal
10/7/02 No end to Bhopal gas victims woes Lokmat Times, Nagpur
27/11/02 Bhopal gas victims to get all possible help Central Chronicle
2/12/02 Central govt in dilemma over Bhopal Trust Hospital Central Chronicle

2003

31/1/03 Make public ICMR studies on gas victims, demand docs Hindustan Times
31/1/03 MIC is carcinogenic Central Chronicle
31/1/03 Continuing health problems of gas victims a matter of concern Free Press
20/2/03 MIC anti-dote developed after gas disaster Central Chronicle
10/10/03 UC health impact not documented: Sarangi Central Chronicle
11/10/03 Male kids born of MIC-exposed parents show stunted growth Hindustan Times
11/10/03 Growth retardation in male child, reports study Free Press
3/12/03 Victims still battle health ill-effects News Express

2004

11/1/04 Govt failed on medical rehab of gas victims Hindustan Times
8/3/04 Govt can’t grab gas victims’ rights News Express
9/3/04 Women gas victims hold demo at Indira Gandhi Hospital Hindustan Times
9/3/04 Gas-hit women stage protest over gross negligence Central Chronicle
9/3/04 Women demand justice for gas victims News Express
16/3/04 Gas survivors stage dharna Central Chronicle
18/04/04 Gas-hit women demand safe water Central Chronicle
10/5/04 Supply clean water in Carbide leak area: SC Hindustan Times
17/5/04 Jabbar alleges denial of treatment to gas victims Hindustan Times
29/5/04 Gaur inspects hospitals Hindustan Times
29/5/04 Gaur inspects Gas Relief hospitals Central Chronicle
2/6/04 Govt willfully denying safe water to 25 localities Hindustan Times
3/7/04 New Bhopal poison: mercury in the breast Tehelka, The People’s Paper
20/7/04 SC order on clean water ignored: Gas victims Hindustan Times
20/7/04 Gas victims’ battle over polluted water continues The Pioneer
21/7/04 Gas victims demand Kolar water Central Chronicle
21/9/04 Lecture on cancer tomorrow Central Chronicle
23/9/04 Stress on studying prevalence of cancer among gas victims Hindustan Times
22/9/04 Conference on Cancer Day held Central Chronicle
23/9/04 Lecture on “cancer caused by chemicals” Free Press
23/9/04 Stress on studying prevalence of cancer among gas victims Hindustan Times
14/10/04 BMHT request for funds leaves gas victims fuming The Pioneer
14/10/04 Children “use brush” on water contamination The Pioneer
14/10/04 Mismanagement displeases Gaur Central Chronicle
15/10/04 Irregularities in hospital Central Chronicle
30/11/04 Swedish doctor releases book on Bhopal gas tragedy Hindustan Times
30/11/04 Amnesty wants Bhopal studies made public Indian Express
2/12/04 Govt gives special attention for medical facilities to gas victims Free Press
4/12/04 Medical report is out 20 years after Bhopal Times of India

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US Congresspeople file amicus in Bhopal suit

“It is unacceptable to allow an American company not only the opportunity to exploit international borders and legal jurisdictions but also the ability to evade civil and criminal liability for environmental pollution and abuses committed overseas.” – Leading Congressman Frank Pallone, Times of India, 18th Oct.

This unequivocal statement announced the Amicus brief that has been filed with the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by Congressman Pallone and eight other US lawmakers on behalf of the Bhopal survivors’ Class Action.

That’s the rotten news for Carbide. Now the unspeakable news for Daddy Dow: the brief urges the Court of Appeals to hold Dow responsible for Bhopal and exposes Dow’s refusal to accept liability for ongoing contamination as legally indefensible: “That [polluter pays] principle, has been affirmed by both international law and American common law and the appropriate means for addressing pollution or environmental harm regardless of where it occurs. That principle cannot be ignored simply because the polluter has abandoned its facility, sold its shares in a subsidy or otherwise effected change of ownership.”

Times of India
Congressman Pallone fights for Bhopal gas victims
IANS[ Saturday, October 18, 2003 12:43:59 PM ]

WASHINGTON: Leading Congressman Frank Pallone and eight other US
lawmakers, have filed an amicus brief on behalf of about 20,000 victims of the 1984 Union Carbide chemical disaster in Bhopal.

Pallone, co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian
Americans, and his colleagues have sent the 23-page brief to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. It urges the court to hold Dow Chemical, which acquired Union Carbide in 2001, responsible for the world’s biggest environmental disaster.

The brief, initiated by Pallone, comes in response to a March decision by a US District Judge in New York dismissing all claims against Dow Chemical. Victims then appealed to the Second Circuit, said a press release from Pallone’s office.

“There is strong support in Congress for holding those responsible for this horrific tragedy accountable for their actions,” he said. “It is unacceptable to allow an American company not only the opportunity to exploit international borders and legal jurisdictions but also the ability to evade civil and criminal liability for environmental pollution and abuses committed overseas.”

For the whole article click here.

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Members of Congress tell Dow, Face Up to Your Bhopal Liabilities

WASHINGTON D.C. TUESDAY 22 JULY Eighteen members of Congress have sent a letter to Dow Chairman William Stavropoulos demanding that his company assume liability for the wrongdoings of Union Carbide (its 100% subsidiary) in Bhopal. The Congresspersons, led by Representatives Frank Pallone and Dennis Kucinich are demanding that Dow provide medical rehabilitation and economic reparations for the victims of the tragedy; clean up contamination in and around the former factory site in Bhopal; provide alternative supplies of fresh water to the affected communities and ensure that the Union Carbide Corporation appears before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Bhopal where it faces criminal charges of culpable homicide.

“The disaster in Bhopal continues and is likely to worsen if Dow Chemical does not step forward to fulfil its responsibilities,” the letter said, adding “It is disheartening to note that a company such as Dow who professes to lead the chemical industry towards ‘responsible care’ shies away from its obligations when truly responsible care can be demonstrated. More disturbing is the manner in which Union Carbide and Dow Chemical have ignored the summons of the Bhopal court. This exposes a blatant disregard for the law.”

On the 24th March Halifax M.P. Alice Mahon filed Early Day Motion 933 in the UK parliament in support of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal’s efforts to make Dow and Union Carbide face up to their moral and legal responsibilities in Bhopal. The motion resolves:

“That this House is appalled by the continuing suffering of the people of Bhopal 18 years after the world’s worst environmental disaster; notes that the contaminated land on the site of the disaster has never been cleaned up, that high quantities of lead and organochlorines continue to be found in the breast milk of local women and that the local population is plagued by ill health and birth deformities; congratulates the work of the Sambhavna medical clinic in treating survivors and that of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal in trying to make Union Carbide and its present owner Dow Chemical face up to their moral and legal responsibilities; and further applauds the campaign for the extradition from the USA of former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson, wanted in India on criminal charges of culpable homicide in connection with the deaths of 20,000 people.”

As reported today by the Bhopal Central Chronicle, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, New Indpress PTI News

Full letter here.
For ICJB press statement at https://www.bhopal.net/oldsite/congressletter.html

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New Clippings – 1991-1996: The Medical Crisis Continues

New Clippings – 1991-1996: The Medical Crisis Continues

1991

EXPOSURE TO MIC CAN CAUSE CANCER: DR PATEL

from National Mail

18/3/91. Dr. Patel reveals that the exposure to MIC gas is a potential danger that could lead to cancer. He said that cancer takes at least 15 to 20 years to take root. In Bhopal the incident of throat, tongue, lungs and cervix cancer was the highest in the country.

THEIR FIGHT FOR JUSTICE HAS NO END

from the Statesman

1/7/91. Women activists demonstrated outside the Supreme Court in New Delhi, demanding proper medical care so they can at least do their daily work. A doctor testified to the inefficacy of the medical facilities. It is reported that the ICMR guidelines for treating these victims are not being followed. Doctors did not come to the hospitals and those who come at all are severely overworked and have to see 400 to 500 patients in two hours. They carry out cursory examination and treat the first ailment they discovered. Also, medicines prescribed by the ICMR are not being used. Pressure from large medicine companies to use drugs that are substandard prevent the hospitals from using drugs that are cheap and effective. Of the six lakh people who had applied for medical examination, three lakh remain without one.

GAS VICTIMS SUFER FROM SERIOUS DISEASES

from Free Press

16/12/91. The story claims the gas victims residing in the affected areas were suffering from serious ailments like jaundice, gall bladder stones and blood vomiting. At the same time the hospitals meant for the treatment of gas victims were plagued with unhygienic conditions, chaos and menace of the anti-social elements.

1992

CHEMICAL ‘TAXI’ SPREAD BHOPAL TOXIN

from the Hindu

12/2/92. Chemists in U.S. have proposed a new theory to explain the terrible symptoms that still afflict survivors of the gas disaster. However, they say that if the theory is true it will still not be of any assistance to the survivors because the damage they suffered is irreparable. The lungs of many people who survived became permanently scarred, but what puzzled doctors was the diversity of unexplained symptoms in other organs. Which range from the eyes, heart, bones, muscles and gastrointestinal tract. Thousands have impaired immune systems, and many report reproductive problems while spontaneous abortions remain high.

1993

CONDITION OF GAS-HIT WORSE DURING PRESIDENT’S RULE

from the Free Press

21/6/93. Regarding the mismanagement and corruption prevalent in the gas hospitals attention of the government had fallen on deaf ears. Despite reminders to the government the situation remained the same. Victims were being deprived of medicines and other essential treatment at the hospitals meant for the victims. The hospitals had no treatment for TB and patients were being forced to buy medicines from the market at high price.

1994

HEALTH CARE OF GAS VICTIMS INADEQUATE

from Times of India

22/1/94. The International Medical Commission on Bhopal has observed that the health care system for the Bhopal gas tragedy victims has been inadequate. There is no system of proper follow-up and the treatment has been generally symptomatic. The IMCB condemned the Union Carbide not only for its responsibility for the deadly gas leak, but also for its behavior later.

BHOPAL HEALTH CARE INADEQUATE

from the Hindustan Times

25/1/94. The International Medical Commission says that Bhopal’s hospital-oriented delivery of health care was inappropriate for the chronic nature of problems. The Commission found that most of the data collected by the ICMR and others on the Bhopal experience were not freely available. It recommended an urgent review and full dissemination of such data and further information should be collected, and should include an evaluation of the current and long-term effects on women and children.

PROTEST AGAINST IRREGULARITIES IN HOSPITALS FOR GAS-AFFECTED

from Free Press

6/5/94. Activists held a rally to protest the alleged irregularities in the hospitals. They alleged that facilities were only available to those who pay extra fees to the doctors and visit the doctors at their clinics. They also drew attention to the non-availability of doctors at the hospitals during duty hours. They alleged that the government had turned a blind eye towards the woes of the victims.

BHOPAL STRUCK BY WAVE OF ‘CHEMICAL AIDS’

from the Observer (London)

20/11/94. Ten years after the disaster the daily live of the survivors is still dictated by the tragedy. Hundreds of people suffering from the effects of acute gas poisoning queue daily at the government hospitals. Their symptoms include breathing problems, streaming eyes, ulcers, unstoppable menstrual bleeding, tuberculosis caused by the poison-induced collapse of their immune systems. Survivor’s groups claim the numbers of people coming forward with long-term, gas-induced symptoms have risen substantially in recent years.

DISASTER’S CHILDREN CONDEMNED TO CARRY LIFELONG SCARS

from Business Standard

30/11/94. The story is about the situation in Bhopal a decade later. Victims don’t know what is rotting inside them; they cough, are out of breath easily and eyes burn. Although the complaints of people in queues outside the hospitals continue to increase, government agencies like ICMR have shut down 20 of the 22 gas-related investigations. It also says potentially the most dangerous long-term impact is that of psychological impairment, especially in children. It is also possible that genetic disorders and cancers may manifest themselves later.

10 YEARS LATER, CANCER LOOMS OVER SURVIVORS OF BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY

from Asian Age

1/12/94. Cancer is now the latest threat stalking survivors of the gas disaster. A team appointed by ICMR was still studying the long-term effects of MIC. They said the cancerous effects of the gas would take much longer to unravel.

BHOPAL – THE COVER-UP CONTINUES

from Times of India Sunday Review

4/12/94. The reporter claims that ten years later, medical research into the gas tragedy is shockingly inadequate. There is hardly any authoritative scientific work on the consequences of exposure to MIC. Union Carbide toxicologists may have the best information on MIC but they are treating it like a trade secret. Union Carbide insisted the effects of MIC were short-term only, and limited to the lungs and eyes. But this was patently false.

1995

GAS VICTIMS TO HOLD DEMONSTRATON

from National Mail

29/8/95. Hundreds of gas victims will demonstrate to protest against the inadequate health facilities and present a memorandum to the Chief Minister regarding their long-pending demands. They claim the government has not been able to provide proper treatment for the victims. Rs. six crore were alleged to have been spent on medical stores but it was yet to benefit the victims. Medicines were stolen and sold in the black market but no action had been taken to stop this.

17 GAS AFFECTED REPORT DAILY

from National Mail

18/10/95. A decade after the disaster 17 victims were being admitted daily to more than a dozen hospitals in Bhopal whereas the number of outdoor patients per day had swelled to 4000. Gas relief and rehabilitation minister admitted that the hospitals constructed by the government for the gas victims lack various medical facilities.

GAS VICTIMS STILL FIGHT DISEASES

from the Times of India

2/12/95. One-fourth of the gas victims are chronically ill, with diseases of the respiratory, gastro-intestinal, reproductive, musculoskeletal, neurological and other systems. Corneal opacity and early-age cataract are common, and exposure to the gases has made the people vulnerable to secondary infections and the incidence of tuberculosis is at least four times higher than in an unexposed population. A study by the ICMR says that 10 to 15 people continue to die of exposure-related causes every month in Bhopal.

MASSIVE COVER UP OPERATIONS STILL CONTINUING

from National Mail

3/12/95. Massive cover-up operations are still continuing on behalf of the government, with nobody in position to say how long the people will continue to suffer. The outcome of some of the studies by ICMR, were still being kept secret for some mysterious reasons.

1996

DOCTORS STILL LACK DATA ON BHOPAL CRISIS

from National Mail

6/12/96. Twelve years later doctors lack information on everything from the number of casualties following the disaster to the chemical composition of the gas. More than 50,000 are still suffering according to ICMR and most of them are not being treated any differently than the general population. There was no special recognition on the part of the doctors that the ailments were gas related and have a special protocol for treatment. As a consequence many Bhopalis suffer from the after-effects of the gas leak but are prescribed the same treatments as patients who are suffering from normal ailments.

BHOPAL LIVES

from the Village Voice

3/12/96. This story is about the release of the report from the International Medical Commission, twelve years after the disaster. The commission found that up to 50,000 survivors were suffering from partial or total disability. In addition to the widely recognized lung and eye injuries, the report details medical conditions that have never been identified before, such as neurotoxicological effects and post-traumatic stress syndrome.

BHOPAL VICTIMS STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES

from Times of India

16/12/96. The survivors of the gas disaster are suffering from long-term neurotoxicology according to the International Medical Commission. Also, there is a stigma in being a gas victim. Women told the commission about miscarriages, inability to lift loads, breathlessness, poor vision, red and white discharge, bleeding from the nose and children with weakness, blotches on the skin and other malformations, and medicines are not effective beyond a few days.

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News Clippings – 1984-1990: The Unfolding Medical Disaster

News Clippings – 1984-1990: The Unfolding Medical Disaster

1984

MORE DEATHS LIKELY IN BHOPAL: US EXPERTS

from the Times of India

6/12/84. American toxicology experts believe that many more people in Bhopal may die of the secondary effects of the poisonous gas MIC. These experts say that the people who have survived so far could die as a result of ordinary respiratory infection because their lung tissues are damaged by the gas.

PEOPLE EXPOSED TO MIC MAY SUFFER NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

from the Patriot

9/12/84. The report is about the possibility of behavioral disorders and chronic nervous disease. According to neurotoxicologists people who were exposed to the poisonous MIC gas might suffer from neurological disorders.

GAS VICTIMS HAVING BREATHING TROUBLE, BURNING FEELING IN EYES

from the Patriot

12/12/84. General weakness, recurrent respiratory and breathing trouble, and a burning sensation in the eyes, were the most common complaints of the people who had been discharged from hospitals. At Hamidia Hospital there was no oxygen because of the rush of patients and people were asked to wash their eyes and return home.

RELIEF WORK INADEQUATE

from Economic Times

13/12/84. This report claims that the state is not able to cope with the problems the gas leak has created. There are complaints about lack of medicine and non-attendance by doctors. The affected people are using various methods to voice their resentment and protesting the non-availability of medical assistance. The reporter goes into the affected neighborhoods where almost everybody is coughing constantly, having pain and irritation in chest and experiencing lack of vision. These people are in no condition to get out of bed and are hardly eating anything. Young men are trying to get the attention of the higher authorities to get necessary and adequate medical help.

1985

DISABLING AND INCURABLE AILMENTS STILL AFFLICT THOUSANDS IN BHOPAL

from the New York Times

29/3/85. The story claims that thousands of people are suffering from incurable problems with breathing, sleeping, digesting food and performing even light physical labor. Problems in counting the injured, confusion, inefficiency and haphazard record-keeping are plaguing the medical relief system. Experts said there was random or casual prescribing of painkillers, sedatives, antacid tablets and many other drugs, some of them potentially harmful. Patients complain that the pills give them no relief and a doctor acknowledged that victims were going from one hospital or clinic to another in a desperate search for cures that did not exist. He said there were no treatments available that would improve their symptoms.

NEUROSIS AFFLICTS BHOPAL GAS VICTIMS

from Indian Express

3/16/85. Every fourth MIC patient is suffering from mental disorder. A survey by a mental health team work confirmed that delayed psychological effects are likely to occur.

POLICE DEMOLISH CLINIC, HAND RECORDS TO CARBIDE

from the Patriot

27/6/85. The police raided the clinic run by People’s Health Centre and handed over all medical records of MIC patients to Union Carbide. The clinic was set up for administering sodium thiosulphate injections to MIC patients. The People Health Centre strongly protested against the demolition of the clinic.

A YEAR LATER, HEALTH OF MANY IN BHOPAL STILL IN QUESTION

from the Observer

1/12/85. Medical studies conducted in the year since the chemical leak at the plant indicate that the chemical responsible for the accident causes serious long-term health problems. Medical experts also say that the clinical evidence compiled show that the deaths and injuries were not solely caused by MIC, instead they assert some MIC had been broken down into hydrogen cyanide before the toxic material escaped from the storage tank.

1986

MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR GAS-HIT WOMEN SOUGHT

from Free Press

6/12/86. At a press conference doctors stressed that timely medical treatment for women, particularly pregnant was essential. They said the gas seemed to have affected women the most. There were complaints of various ailments, including stoppage of child movement in wombs. Apart from still births they had also seen deformed children being born due to the effects of the gas.

LUNG DAMAGE TO GAS VICTIMS LONG-TERM

from Times of India

6/9/86. Studies prove that MIC-induced lung disease has a long-term course. Studies carried out by a team of doctors show that MIC has restricted the functioning of the lungs of the affected persons and caused secondary psychiatric abnormalities.

POINTLESS ARRESTS

from Indian Express

13/9/86. The Madhya Pradesh arrested two voluntary workers, once again demonstrating its complete intolerance towards any legitimate questioning of its relief efforts for the gas-affected victims. The two men were found taking notes and taping a meeting of government doctors which had been announced in the press and thus was not a secret or closed-door meeting.

BERGMAN, 2 OTHERS BEING ‘HARASSED’

from Times of India

17/9/86. This is one of many stories in 1986 about the government’s harassment and persecution against relief workers and volunteers opposed to Union Carbide. It’s about the framing up of three relief workers under the “absurd” charge of violation of Official Secrets Act. One of the accused cycled from England to raise money for the gas victims and decided to stay on to help children. He was now being labeled as a spy. Two others who write for a monthly newspaper “Bhopal” had been accused of “illegally trespassing” and recording the meeting of Indian Council of Medical Research with local doctors to discuss the mode of treatment for the gas victims. Thirty one relief workers from different parts of the country had been charged under various offences.

1987

OXYGEN HUNGER – MAIN CAUSE OF GAS VICTIMS’ TROUBLES

from Dainak Bhaskar

27/4/87. Scientists claim that the damaged lungs of the victims have made them respiratory cripples. Also a study on schoolchildren finds that the gas tragedy has left them suffering with a number of physiological, neurological and psychological problems. The ailments included breathlessness, uneasiness, chest pain, loss of appetite, headache, body ache, loss of muscular coordination, blood pressure, palpitation, confused thinking, loss of ambition, emotional attacks, loss of memory and working capacity, and among girls there was disturbance in the menstrual cycle.

NO SOPS FOR HAPLESS CARBIDE VICTIMS

from Dainik Bhaskar

14/8/87. The report claims that the victims of the gas leak are practically without any assistance from either the Government or Union Carbide. The doctors and lawyers who were once engaged in helping the victims find little time for them now. The Government admits delay in relief work.

PANEL FEARS PRESENCE OF TOXIC SUBSTANCES IN VICTIMS

from the Patriot

28/8/87. The Supreme Court Committee for the Bhopal gas victims apprehends the presence of toxic substances in gas-affected people. There is evidence of MIC entering the blood stream, generating antibodies and disturbing the immune system. Another alarming feature is the Pregnancy Outcome Study which has established that the spontaneous abortion rate has increased four-fold, and that the toxins present in gas-exposed women were causing damage to the fetus.

1988

BHOPAL VICTIMS STILL SUFFERING

from the Hindustan Times

30/11/88. Four years later the effects of MIC are still evident on the victims, with the fact that the death rate was shot up alarmingly. Thousands of people are still seen waiting in queues at the hospitals with symptoms like breathlessness, loss of appetite, persistent cough, pain in abdomen and considerable weaknesses. Also, what was not perceptible at first is the traumatic effect on the minds of the affected people now suffering from mental derangement, anxiety and depression.

GENERAL HEALTH DECLINES

from Madhya Pradesh Chronicle

3/12/88. The general health status of the gas victims has declined further in comparison to the last four years. A doctor claims that the MIC has now “set in” among the victims, causing a continuous deterioration in the health of severely gas hit people.

AFTER THE DISASTER

from Madhya Pradesh Chronicle

3/12/88. A study by ICMR shows that the overall infection rate in the babies who were delivered by the women who were pregnant in the areas which were badly hit due to the gas leak, has increased. A high incidence of fever, cough and cold, loose motions and acute respiratory problems was reported among the children who were born to the gas hit ladies in the post disaster period.

VITAL DRUG BEING DENIED TO BHOPAL GAS VICTIMS

from the Patriot

4/12/88. The one antidote that gave relief to 29,000 severely affected gas victims has not been administered to the rest of the estimated 60,000 acutely affected victims or to the mass of over 5 lakh people affected by the killer gases. Within a few days of the disaster the presence of deadly cyanide was found in blood samples of victims and doctors recommended the use of sodium thiosulphate injections. Most patients felt better, subsequently a Union Carbide specialist sent a fax recommending the use of sodium thiosulphate. But after some months, there were clear instructions from the MP administration directing medical institutions to stop sodium thiosulphate therapy.

RESEARCH ON MIC’S EFFECTS IS CRUCIAL FOR THE VICTIMS

from Times of India

5/12/88. The report stresses that for the thousands who are still suffering from the ill-effects of MIC any research findings that can be beneficial in devising a line of treatment must be the prime concern, as there seems to be overwhelming scientific evidence to suggest the multi-systemic involvement of MIC. They claim Union Carbide has remorselessly tried to underplay the toxic effects of MIC, saying that MIC was merely an eye and throat irritant, when it is now clear that they had access to the most comprehensive inhalation study of MIC to date much before the disaster.

1989

MIC MAY HAVE DAMAGED IMMUNE SYSTEMS

from Statesman

9/9/89. According to an immunologist’s research, some of those who survived the gas leak may have long-term damage to their immune systems, which could cause other health problems for the rest of their lives.

361 ABORTIONS, 22 STILLBORN, CARBIDE’S PARTING GIFT

from Patriot

18/9/89. Official surveys have confirmed that the lethal MIC gas had its most treacherous impact on pregnant mothers and their unborn children. Out of 2,245 women who were within three months of their pregnancy on the night of the gas disaster show that 361 women had abortions, 22 babies were born dead, 84 were premature births and 17 of the babies born alive had congenital defects.

BHOPAL OFFICIALS HINDERING DE-TOXIFYING PLAN

from Times of India

30/9/89. Doctors of a clinic run by voluntary organizations charged state government officials with trying to stop the collection of medical and chemical evidence of cyanide poisoning due to the gas leak. The doctors said in a statement that the officials were obstructing the clinic’s program of detoxifying the gas victims. The doctors appealed to the chief minister to take action against the officials who were not only adding to the suffering of the gas victims but also protecting Union Carbide.

1990

ILLNESS AFFLICTS MIC VICTIMS

from the Hindustan Times

30/1/90. According to a medical study, 70 – 80% of the gas affected population in the seriously affected areas and 40 – 50% in the mildly affected area suffer from medically diagnosed illnesses even five years after the MIC leak.

TOXIC WATER FOUND AROUND UCC PLANT

from Times of India

16/5/90. Several toxic chemicals and cancer-causing agents have been found in the water samples collected from around the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal. This poses a serious risk to the people who continue to suffer and die of diseases related to their exposure to toxic gases that leaked from the plant.

UNENDING HELL FOR BHOPAL VICTIMS

from Patriot

21/11/90. Almost six years after the gas disaster life continues to be an unending purgatory for the victims. According to ICMR the tragedy continues to unfold through growing general morbidity, a rising incidence of lung, eye, gastro-intestinal, skin and neuro-psychological disorders, as well as high rates of involuntary abortions among pregnant women.

HOW KILLER MIC LIVES ON IN BHOPAL

from the Economic Times

25/11/90. Almost six years after the gas disaster survivors are still dying and the number of dead continues to go up. The deaths have been mainly due to respiratory causes. The toxicity of MIC and its long-term effects have largely issued a systemic character with several morbidities coexisting. The story explains how even the “simple injury” cases identified after the disaster are by no means simple any longer.

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