Supreme Court of India ordered Better Healthcare for Bhopal Gas Tragedy Victims

In an order passed on 9 August 2012, the Supreme Court of India directed the government to make all the medical records of Bhopal Gas victims computerised and issue health booklets and smart cards to each victim. The court’s directive came as it seek to ensure better healthcare and proper implementation of relief and rehabilitation programme for thousands of victims of world’s worst industrial disaster.

The Apex Court Bench of Chief Justice SH Kapadia and Justices AK Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar passed the order on a petition filed by the Bhopal Gas Peedith Mahila Udyog Sanghathan.

An Empowered Monitoring Committee will be set up to carry out the court’s order. The committee will undertake the tasks such as making medical surveillance operational, computerisation of medical information, publication of ‘health booklets,’ etc. It will also ensure that ‘health booklets’ and ‘smart cards’ are provided to each victim irrespective of where such victim is being treated.”