Fungal diseases rise among Bhopal gas tragedy survivors

On the night of December 2-3, 1984, the biggest industrial disaster in history took place in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. On the 38th anniversary of the gas tragedy, Sambhavna Trust said that fungal infection is on the rise among survivors.

Due to the poisonous gas released by Union Carbide in December 1984, many people continue to suffer and are becoming victims of untimely death.

Those who survived the accident today suffer from serious diseases related to the lungs, kidneys and other organs. Most of the patients in this are cancer patients.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research report, it was projected that up to 2009 there could have been 23,000 deaths, but the figures vary and are a matter of debate.

About half a million survivors suffered respiratory problems, eye irritation or blindness, muscular dystrophy, and other illnesses resulting from exposure to the toxic gas.

The study found that babies born to women exposed to the gas were significantly more likely to have "congenital malformations" than those born to women not exposed to the gas.

Fungal infections:

• Ringworm, caused by a fungus called ringworm, is on the rise.

• Itchy red spots occur in the groin, on the head or in different places on the body. The rash spreads if left untreated.

• Candidiasis Albicans is also being reported to the Sambhavna Clinic by female survivors.

Congenital malformations can be defined as structural or functional abnormalities that occur during intrauterine life (inside the womb) and can be identified prenatally, at birth, or sometimes only detected later in childhood.

Sambhavna Trust is one of the leading organizations helping Bhopal gas survivors with medical treatment and research.

Over the past 26 years, the clinic has developed a combination of English, Ayurveda, Panchakarma and Yoga to treat ailments caused by toxic chemicals in victims. Because of this, more than 36,000 victims have been treated so far.

Urinary tract infection

Founder and managing trustee of Sambhavna Trust Satinath Sarangi said, "Some 1,175 cases were registered in the last 20 years, of which 670 were from the last five years alone. Most of these were resistant to treatment."

“We see this very often with urinary tract infections. When an antibiotic is abused, the microorganism changes and mutates, and the same agent cannot kill it. Which is when the antibiotic is changed, ”he added.

“So much so that Dr. Neil Anderson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who carried out research into the impact of the disaster, called it 'chemical AIDS.' Just like you have immunodeficiency caused by AIDS, this is caused by chemicals. Therefore, Bhopal survivors are prone to contracting infectious diseases, be it from bacteria, viruses or fungi,” Sarangi said.

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• How Bhopal gas peedit mahila udyog sangathan fighting for justice?

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