Bhopal Gas Tragedy: MP High Court Asks Centre About Funds For Treatment Of Victims

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday asked the Central government about grant of funds to the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Center, which was established to provide advanced tertiary level super-specialty care to the victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984).

Division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf was hearing a writ petition filed by the Bhopal Gas Peedith Mahila Udyog Sangthan and other organizations, challenging the Central and State Governments' alleged failure to implement effective relief measures and provide adequate healthcare facilities to the victims, despite the Supreme Court's directions in 2012.

The Monitoring Committee, constituted at the directions of Supreme Court to oversee the implementation of relief measures, submitted that due to lack of funds and absence of sufficient specialist doctors, treatment in the hospital is being given on priority basis only to individual suffering in advance stages of cancer and the patients who are in the early stages of the cancer are being denied or delayed treatment. The Court was informed that the current situation was exacerbating the suffering of victims, who were already battling severe health consequences from the disaster.

Court then asked the Government to take into account recommendations of the Monitoring Committee. However, Centre's counsel informed that a provisional offer of appointment had been made to 12 doctors on August 5, 2024, and that these appointments would be finalized once the requisite conditions and formalities were fulfilled.

He sought additional time to file a comprehensive status report, detailing the measures. The matter is now listed on August 21.

Case title: Bhopal Gas Peedith Mahila Udyog Sangthan And Others Vs Union Of India And Others

Citation: Writ Petition No. 15658 of 2012

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