Bhopal, July 23 (IANS) Survivors of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy on Thursday protested against the Madhya Pradesh government’s proposal to shift the emergency ward for gas victims from Kamala Nehru Hospital, alleging that the move could affect the specialised healthcare available to them and raise safety concerns.
Members of four organisations representing gas survivors staged a demonstration at the hospital premises and demanded that the state government withdraw the proposed relocation plan.
Addressing the protest, Rashida Bi, leader of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Karmchari Sangh, said the government’s proposal to shift the emergency ward to the radiology section of Hamidia Hospital had caused concern among gas victims.
“The state government should withdraw its proposal to shift the emergency ward. Gas survivors require specialised medical care and any decision affecting their treatment should be taken only after ensuring all prescribed safety standards are met,” she said.
The organisations alleged that the proposed relocation had been planned without an independent radiological safety assessment. They also claimed that the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) approval for the proposed PET-CT facility does not permit a patient waiting area at the identified site.
The protesters further claimed that the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee had written to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Gas Relief Department, expressing objections to the proposed relocation.
Rashida Bi said the PET-CT facility should instead be established at Gandhi Medical College, as envisaged in the original tender. “The PET-CT centre should be shifted to Gandhi Medical College. Healthcare facilities meant for gas victims should not be relocated until all statutory approvals and safety assessments are in place,” she said.
The organisations demanded that the emergency ward continue to function at Kamla Nehru Hospital, that the PET-CT facility be established at Gandhi Medical College, and that no radioactive bunker or related infrastructure be constructed without a comprehensive public safety assessment and mandatory approvals from the AERB.
The protest was organised by the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Karmchari Sangh, the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, and other organisations working for the welfare of gas tragedy survivors.
–IANS
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