NEW DELHI // The effects of potentially fatal gases leaked 24 years ago during the worst industrial disaster in history have left Aqeel Ahmad to cope with a life of debilitating health problems; that a hospital built especially for victims of the Union Carbide gas leak in Bhopal is denying treatment to Mr Ahmad, and thousands of other survivors, has made them victims twice over.
Since the methyl isocyanate leakage at the Union Carbide factory, owned by the US company Dow Chemical, in December 1984, every breath has been a struggle for Mr Ahmad.
"My life is not less than a punishment; I would prefer death to such a life," he lamented.
At the age of 29, Aqeel has undergone dialysis thrice weekly for the past three years at a private hospital after both his kidneys failed. For three months, he was provided free treatment at the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC), but since then the hospital has shut its doors on him.
"I took 17 dialysis treatments from the BMHRC for free, then they told me to get my dialysis done from private hospitals for sometime as there was a shortage of space and staff. They promised me to restart it in a few days. They have now been denying me treatment for three years," Mr Ahmad said.
According to the official figures, 15,243 people lost their lives in the Union Carbide disaster. The tragedy also left 574,000 people with lifelong illnesses. The majority suffer from renal, cardiac and ophthalmological disorders. Last month, a US Congress report stated that 15 people die each month from the effects of exposure to the gas.
With more than 80 per cent of the victims from the lower economic strata, the survivors find it hard to bear the expenses for their treatment. "I spend around 20,000 rupees every month on medicine and dialysis. I have borrowed money from everyone I know for my treatment. I am under a debt of 230,000 rupees [Dh17,000]. That's the only way I can breathe," Mr Ahmad said.
For Mr Ahmad and the hundreds of thousands like him, BMHRC was their best hope. Built with the compensation money for the victims in 2001 following a Supreme Court ruling, the 500-bed hospital's sole objective was to provide free treatment to the victims of Union Carbide.
Abdul Jabbar, the convener of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan (BGPMS), or the Trade Association of the Affected Women Of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, a volunteer organisation, said the hospital has been diverted from its sole objective.
"The hospital was constructed after selling the Union Carbide properties at a cost of three billion rupees on court orders. The court had also ruled that all the survivors of this tragedy will be treated free of cost till death," Mr Jabbar said.
Babulal Gaur, the relief minister of Madhya Pradesh, said the state government was not responsible for the running of the hospital because it functions under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court of India and is out of the state government's scope.
An official of the memorial hospital who did not want to be named said about 3,700 patients visit the hospital every day and the total number of staff is not more than 450, including doctors and paramedics.
"We are facing a shortage of staff and equipment; just four dialysis machines are functional in the entire hospital for over a 1,000 registered patients. It becomes impossible to attend to all of them," the official said. Many blame the problems at the hospital on government corruption, as a trust for the victims of Bhopal contains Rs6 billion and funding should not be a problem.
BGPMS has filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court of India seeking its intervention to re-implement its earlier ruling of providing free treatment at the hospital to the victims in letter and spirit. "We have filed a PIL in the Supreme Court last month, the case will come up for hearing next month." Mr Jabbar said.
In 2006, 17 patients died as the hospital's staff went on strike to demand higher wages. This caused widespread street protests from victims and advocate groups.
Mr Jabbar, who has spent the past 24 years with the victims of gas tragedy, said that the number of patients denied treatment is unbelievably high, but most cases go unreported. "They know nothing will happen. It's an eternal suffering and it ends with death."
@Email:jandrabi@thenational.ae
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Joy%20Ride%20
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
