Madhya Pradesh HC questions state & Union govt on delay in posting doctors for Bhopal gas tragedy victims

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday sought response from both the Madhya Pradesh government and the Centre regarding the delay in allowing 15 medical officers, deputed from the Department of Health and Public Welfare to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department, to assume their positions.

A division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf, raised concerns about the inadequate medical care provided to the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy.

Senior Counsel Naman Nagrath, representing the petitioner organisations, emphasized on the urgent need for these medical professionals to join the gas relief department. He highlighted that despite an order issued on June 27, 2024, to send doctors on deputation to fill numerous vacancies, five specialists and 15 medical officers had not been relieved by the health department.

The court sought an explanation for the delay in posting these doctors and specialists, which is crucial for the medical care of the Bhopal gas tragedy victims.

Additionally, the issue of corpus funds available with the Bhopal Memorial Trust (BMT), which administers the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC), was discussed. The court directed the Centre to provide details concerning the Rs 1,000 crore corpus fund of the BMHRC.

During the hearing, Senior Counsel Nagrath pointed out that the corpus fund, originally approximately Rs 435 crore, has grown to around Rs 1,000 crore.

Despite this substantial fund, there appear to be no tangible steps taken by the central government to utilize it for the benefit of the victims, as per the Supreme Court's directions, Nagrath argued.

Earlier, a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee had flagged significant deficiencies in the healthcare provided to the victims over the years. According to a compliance report, out of the 1,247 sanctioned posts in hospitals run by the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department, 498 vacancies remain unfilled.

The Bhopal disaster, which took place on the night of December 2-3, 1984, when highly toxic gas leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, had left thousands dead and lakhs reeling under long-term effects.