HEALTH CARE
FOR DAMAGED CHILDREN
A new generation, unborn at the time of the gas disaster
, continues to pay for the negligence of Union Carbide and
Indian politicians. In communities where the water is poisoned
by chemicals leaking from the abandoned factory, and in
families where parents were exposed as children to the gases
of 'that night', malformed and brain damaged babies are
being born – too many to explain away statistically,
too many to ignore. And yet politicians refuse to accept
the grim reality that these children are also victims of
the multinational chemical corporations that they continue
to hail as the future of India's economic growth .
Nothing was being done for the children or their families,
till the survivors' movement took matters into their own
hands. Chingari Trust, working closely with the Sambhavna
Clinic – both set up and largely staffed by survivors
– is bringing much needed medical and counselling
help to families with damaged children.
One of the objectives of Chingari Trust is to keep reminding
the government and the companies involved of important long-pending
issues. The need for proper medical treatment for children
born to this day with congenital disorders. The need to
provide children with the opportunity to lead dignified
and self-reliant lives.
Chingari’s mission and belief is to work towards fulfilling
these needs. It is committed to make available the best
possible medical care, treatment and community based rehabilitation
for these children. Chingari envisions a society which is
sensitive to disabled people. It also believes that through
its health care work amongst the children affected by Carbide's
poisons, it can raise awareness in society about the deadly
impact of toxic chemical industry.
The Trust is trying to set parameters of a sensitive and
humanistic 'care' to showcase the best possible health care,
and to force the government to make such health care available
for all the affected children.
Towards this end, Chingari has initiated the following activities:
1. Children with
congenital disabilities: Identification of children
under the age of 12 years with birth defects.
2. Medical camps : Organising special medical camps with
doctors of national and international repute to diagnose
and prescribe holistic treatment and rehabilitation of affected
children. Reports: English,
Hindi
3. Treatment
and Community based rehabilitation: Putting forth the
demands of long term medical treatment and rehabilitation
of affected children and to make government implement these
demands.
4. Immediate
medical attention: For children who need immediate medical
attention, Chingari is trying to provide initial monetary
and logistical support.
5. Economic support: Alongwith medical care and rehabilitation
of the disabled children, Chingari is also demanding for
special monetary support from the state government for these
children.
6. Research
based treatment: Putting pressure on the government
to initiate research based long term treatment.
