Bhopal Medical Appeal – 2001 

This ad appeared in the UK Guardian, December 2001 and has raised over £40,000.

The Bhopal disaster did not end on the night of 2-3 December 1984. Every year on the anniversary the victims’ support organisation in the UK runs an advertisement to raise funds, and to remember the plight of those affected. PAN UK administers these funds as its contribution to Bhopal support. In December 2001 the response was overwhelming, with over £40,000 raised in small donations from supporters in Britain. 
    Over 20,000 have died in Bhopal to date, and many continue to die from illnesses directly attributable to the effects of the methyl isocyanate gas – used to make two pesticides, aldicarb and carbaryl for cotton production. More than 120,000 people remain critically ill and unable to work. Seventeen years later, new effects of the gas are still coming to light, including menstrual chaos among girls born around the time of the gas.
    The funds raised are used to support a remarkable initiative in the city. The Sambhavna Trust launched the Bhopal People’s Health and Documentation Centre in 1994 when it became clear that neither governments nor companies would help the victims in Bhopal. The work at the Clinic shows that it is possible to evolve simple, safe, effective, ethical and participatory ways to research, monitor and treat within the realities of Bhopal. While small compared to the complexity of the disaster, the Clinic has provided direct treatment to over 10,000 people and support to about the same number through its health initiatives in ten communities close to the old Union Carbide factory. The Clinic has pioneered new treatments combining modern medicine with traditional Indian herbal remedies, yoga breathing and massage. The results have been outstanding and its work has attracted three awards.

To support the Bhopal Medical Appeal, donations may be paid to Pesticide Action Network / Bhopal Medical Appeal, FREEPOST, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4JX, UK. Calls can be made to freefone 0800 316 5577.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 55, March 2002, page 9]