Bhopal gas leak: Medical data suppressed

Bhopal: Since the day they were hit by the deadly Methyl Isocynate (MIC) gas, the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy have been suffering with various health problems.

Rayeesa Bi has had breathing problems. She has lost her eyesight and is bed-ridden; 14-year-old Suraj was born with congenital deformities, so was Kartikey and Khushi living in the same neighbourhood. Their parents are all gas victims.

About 1,000 of such cases exist, mostly from poor families whose homes were the epicentre of the tragedy and who need urgent medical help. But doctors routinely turn them away saying they are not gas affected.

What's more shocking is that the government clearly dismisses the claim that MIC exposure is a cause for congenital deformities or for the high incidence of cancer. And to back this, it uses the work of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which conducted studies in the aftermath of the tragedy.

But the government's own medical evidence appears insidious.

Advertisement

NR Bhandari, a principal investigator for the ICMR in five out of 20 projects commissioned, says the government has suppressed, and never fully published the data.

"I was the principal investigator for five projects, which were long-term projects and I looked after it for 6-7 years. One of this was the effect of the gas on the offspring of pregnant women. Initially, there were lot of abortions, the incidence of abortion was 24 per cent, which is very high as compared to normal. My point is that these studies were done under my supervision for six years. All these studies we had large number of staff. Money was lavishly spent by ICMR. All the data was collected, we were analysing and preparing it. When we asked the ICMR for permission to publish the data from time to time, they said no, you need not publish. At no stage were we allowed to publish any data or give any lectures," Bhandari says.

Advertisement

In response, the ICMR says it did study the effects for 10 years, but didn't feel the need to continue. The body also says it has published all the reports in a book.

Strangely enough, the book did not have Bhandari's name anywhere, and the publication has been dated 1987 - just three years later which can hardly be considered long-term.

Advertisement

The government's own medical evidence works against the gas victims. But what's harder to dismiss is innumerable independent reports that show how dangerous the gas has been for its victims, even 25 years later. (Read: Bhopal tragedy - justice strangled by successive governments?) | (Read: Govt reconstitutes GoM on Bhopal case, say sources)

Also See:

Advertisement

Digvijaya on Bhopal: US pressure may have been a factor
No lessons from Bhopal, N-Liability Bill diluted
Did Arjun Singh arrange Anderson's exit?