Summary:
Alishan, a minor from the third generation of a 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy victim family who was suffering from cerebral palsy (permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood), died in April this year, a month after his therapies abruptly discontinued due to the imposition of the Covid-19-induced lockdown on March 24.
.
Alishan, a minor from the third generation of a 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy victim family who was suffering from cerebral palsy (permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood), died in April this year, a month after his therapies abruptly discontinued due to the imposition of the Covid-19-induced lockdown on March 24.
He was getting therapies through an NGO called Chingari Trust, run by Bhopal gas tragedy survivors, for the last 20 months.
The trust was established in 2006 with an aim to provide free treatment to the children born with disabilities after their parents or grandparents were exposed to the toxic Isocyanate leaked from Union Carbide’s pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on the night of December 2, 1984.
Alishan, three others– Uday Lokhande,15, resident of TT Nagar, Syed Iqram Ali, 5, and Umar Khan, 24, both residents of Shahjahanabad – who were suffering from multiple disorders and getting treatment in the Trust’s clinic, also died between March 24 and May due to the sudden stopping of their therapies and lack of proper care, claimed doctors and trainers of the Trust during a press conference on Monday.
“They died of sickness; clinical casualties were yet to be established,” said Rasheeda Bee of Chingari Trust.
“But they got sick due to the sudden disruption in their therapies and lack of the care that they used to get in the clinic,” she added.
The district collector allowed political and social rallies, religious events, but denied permission to open the centres for disabled persons despite repeated attempts, alleged Rasheeda Bee and Champa Devi of the Trust.
Out of 320 enrolled disabled persons in the Trust, the condition of 80% people who were getting treatment at the clinic have been deteriorating with each passing day.
“Repeated attempts were made to get permission from the Bhopal collector, Health Department officials and Social Justice and Disabled Person Welfare officials to allow the opening of the centres with Covid-19 guidelines, but they repealed the requests every time,” said Nousheen Khan, a speech therapist at the Trust.
According to the Trust`s office, nearly 1,100 disabled persons of various age groups have registered with them, but due to the lack of facilities, they only cater to 300 kids at a time in the clinic.
The city has approximately 3,000 disabled children whose parents or grandparents were exposed to the mythile isosynide on the night of December 2, 1984, and needed especial attention during the pandemic, as per the Trust’s office.
LOCKDOWN HIT 80% OF DISABLED UNDER TREATMENT
Suraj Singh, 22, a third-generation youth from a gas tragedy victim family, also suffers from cerebral palsy.
Owing to his by birth illness, neither can he walk, nor utter simple sentences or exercise his mind.
After years of speech therapy, physiotherapy and mind game therapies at Chingari Trust centre, he began walking, painting, and was able to utter simple sentences like – “Mummy I need water,” “I want food,” or “I want to pee,” or “please give me mobile” for the first time his in life and felt elated.
But disruption in therapies since the imposition of the lockdown and sudden closer of the Chingari Trust centre have regressed him where he had started.
Now, he has lost his speech and cannot spell a simple sentence or walk alone.
Only his parents, who are daily-wage workers, can grasp the disjoined mumble and comprehend his needs.
Suraj’s grandparents have survived the tragedy that occurred on December 2-3, 1984 after the toxic gas leaked from Union Carbide’s pesticide plant.