Coronavirus Covid19
Representative photo. Image credit - www.imtj.com

Bhopalโ€™s all five dead COVID-19 patients were also victims of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

This was claimed by a number of organisations representing the gas tragedy survivors.

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There are 158 COVID-19 positive patients in Bhopal presently.

The patients, who have died of COVID-19 so far, are aged between 49-80 years.

They resided in different localities that were affected by the 1984 gas tragedy.

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โ€œThe first COVID-19 patient died on April 6, second and third on April 12, fourth on April 13 and the fifth on April 14,โ€ said one of the organisations.

โ€œAll of them were the victims of 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy,โ€ it further added.

The organisation further said that one of the deceased was suffering from oral cancer, while another was suffering from tuberculosis.

โ€œThe one suffering from tuberculosis had recovered from the disease,โ€ the organisation added.

โ€œThe other three deceased COVID-19 patients were also suffering from various other ailments,โ€ the organisation added.

โ€œOne of them was a journalist,โ€ the organisation further added.

One of the five happened to be a journalist, as per associations and officials from the district administration.

Meanwhile, Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA) has moved the High Court for a direction to the Madhya Pradesh government to de-notify the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) as a non-COVID-19 hospital so that it can treat the Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims.

The hospital was notified as a COVID-19 in March.

โ€œBhopal Gas Tragedy victims are dying of COVID-19 as they are more vulnerable to the virus and they have been deprived of treatment at BMHRC which is meant for them as the hospital has been notified as a COVID-19 hospital,โ€ reported Hindustan Times quoting BGIA convener Rachna Dhingra.

Notably, after being notified as a COVID-19 hospital, BMHRCโ€™s OPD service was for gas victims.

As many as 65 patients were discharged from the hospital and only a few patients were allowed to remain.

There were 31 patients on dialysis who were shifted to another hospital and there was only one technician for dialysis.

โ€œThe governmentโ€™s decision to not allow the gas victims to be treated at BMHRC was beyond comprehension as the gas victims are more prone to contracting the virus given their co-morbidity,โ€ further reported Hindustan Times quoting Member of the Supreme Courtโ€™s monitoring committee for gas victims Purnendu Shukla.

โ€œAnd now the results are there for all to see. All the five Covid-19 patients who have died are gas tragedy victims,โ€ the newspaper further reported quoting Shukla.