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Gas victims oppose merger move

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, FEB. 6. The Madhya Pradesh Government's proposed move to disband the Gas Relief and Rehabilitation department and merge it with the State Health department is being opposed vehemently by the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan (BGPMUS), an NGO working for the cause of the victims of the 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster. Addressing a press conference here today, the convener of BGPMUS, Abdul Jabbar, today said that the decision to merge the Gas relief department with the State Health department was taken at a review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Babulal Gaur, on December 1, 2004.

Mr. Jabbar went on to reveal that the Gas relief department had issued an order on February 2 for setting up of a 5-member committee to suggest how the Gas relief department could be merged with the State health department on April 1 this year without getting embroiled in any legal complication. Questioning the Government's move, Mr. Jabbar said that every one was aware of the functioning and the efficiency level of the State Health department. Though all was not well with the working of the Gas relief department, the fact however remains that its efforts were still focused at providing medical relief to the gas victims, he said adding that the gas victims would be forced to suffer endlessly once the gas relief department gets merged with the Health department.

Mr. Jabbar said all improvement regarding medical relief to the gas victims has been due to the medical PIL and intervention of the Supreme Court. After much delay, the Kamla Nehru Hospital, Indira Gandhi Bal Evam Mahila Chikitsalaya and the Pulmonary Medical Centre were properly equipped and they started functioning as specialty hospitals in the State capital. It seems, there is a conspiracy to transfer these facilities to the Gandhi Medical College, which is on the verge of being derecognized due to lack of proper infrastructure, he pointed out.

He said that it was a matter of deep concern that a move was now on at the State Government level to entrust the Health department with the task of providing medical relief to over 3 lakh gas victims, who need constant medical attention. This despite the fact that the health department had a budget of only about 50 paisa for every outdoor patient and just over Rs. 4 for every indoor patient. Even this amount was on paper and does not actually get spent on every patient, he pointed out. He said that the medical PIL was coming up for hearing in the Apex Court tomorrow. BGPMUS would request the Supreme Court to stay any move by the State Government to merge the Gas Relief Department with the State Health department, he announced.

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