To: V.V. Purushan:
I am a physician of naturopathic medicine in the United
States. I received a news release that included your name,
and a website link for www.bhopal.net.
The writer (perhaps yourself) asks for offers of assistance.
What I can give you is the reminder that you have several
excellent resources for homeopathic medicine in India, and
this may be crucial to help these people.
Indeed, I met with a physician -- Dr. Prakash Vakil from
India (http://www.homeoint.org/photo/uv/vakilp.htm)
-- who was intensely involved with the care for the victims
of the Bhopal disaster years ago. He and other homeopathic
physicians who went to Bhopal identified CHLORINE as the
agent that caused the suffering (and not cyanide as
stated by the non-homeopath pharmacy-controlled news media).
The one best thing I can offer you is a request that you
locate Dr. Vakil and others like him who are experienced at
helping people who are suffering from chemical factory
events. I do not know his email address.
Contact the closest homeopathic medical school and
hospital and they can provide you with practitioners who are
skilled at treating people for the individual symptoms they
present. In addition, they may discover in this case -- as
in the case of the Bhopal disaster -- there is a common
toxicity among all those people and that it could be treated
appropriately with one remedy. Such an individual remedy,
related to the needs of a group of people, needs skill such
as Dr. Vakil possesses in order to ascertain its identity.
Homeopathic medicine may be a very important part of
complete treatment of these people. Otherwise, the treatment
delivered by the non-homeopath practitioners will be less
than optimal.
I am sorry for the danger and suffering that has happened
to those people in Kerala, and am very glad that people such
as yourself are helping them and asking others to help. You
are to be commended for your care for these people who
suffered this chemical disaster.
Dr. Ralph Wilson
http://www.bhopal.net/index.php
07/07/04
BREAKING NEWS. Chemical
disaster hits Kerala, hundreds affected.
Massive
fire in the Hindustan Insecticides Limited Factory in Eloor,
Kerala burns down Endosulfan plant. Hundreds of people
living around face severe health problems.
This incident, which
happened in the early hours of 5 July is nowhere mentioned
in any of the major Indian or international news media. The
Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithi (PMVS - Periyar River
Anti-Pollution Committee) activist V. V. Purushan has just
us sent this on-the-spot account.
"Eloor, Tuesday 6 July 2004. This morning at around
2 am a fire started in the Hindustan Insecticides Limited
factory and within hours the whole endosulfan plant burnt
down. Toxic gases and smoke spread all over Eloor,
Pallipurachal and Chowka North End as well as to the
Varapuzha Panchayath area, affecting hundreds of people.
People living in the Pallipurachal area rushed to the Eloor
Ferry and crossed the river in fear and helplessness. Many
people were running with small babies to escape from the
toxic smoke. It was by sheer luck that a major tragedy of
casualties did not happen. From 2 o'clock onwards the people
of Eloor North and Pallipurachal area were almost resigned
to their fate and expecting tragedy to strike them, even as
the factory continued to burn. The HIL management said that
plant has not been badly affected and that only a small
quantity of toluene, a little bit of endosulfan and some
rubber sheets were burnt. Whatever company officials say, in
the community people are suffering serious health problems.
An 8-member doctors team has come to assess the situation
and given immediate medical help under the Additional
District Magistrate, who was the first senior official to
reach the site, nearly 8 hours after the incident. About 200
people have been given initial medical assistance. One 16-
year old girl has been admitted after she developed
convulsions, chest pain and dizziness. Even as I am writing
this, the doctors are continuing their check up (3.30 pm).
We know and we are expecting serious long term health
problems due to this disaster."
The Eloor Industrial Area hosts about 250 industries of
which there are more than a dozen large chemical factories.
This particular factory the Hindustan Insecticides Limited
has been in the eye of the storm for quite some time now. In
1999, Greenpeace surveyed and sampled the factory outskirts,
especially a stream coming out of the factory into the
community water body and the river and found 111 chemicals
of which 39 were hazardous organochlorine compounds
including DDT and metabolites, endosulfan and metabolites
and their degradation products. This plant is the only plant
in India which produces DDT (a persistent organic pollutant
) and endosulfan as well as dicofol.
In 2003, Greenpeace again conducted a study in the area and
found that the community living in the area were badly
affected and that the probabilities of falling ill with
various diseases were much higher than normal control
values. The community under the banner of the PMVS had been
demanding the right to Information on the hazardous
chemicals used, processed and manufactured by the factories
in the area and has also been demanding that factories
implement a disaster management plan and an emergency
response system. All these demands have fallen on the dead
ears of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, the
Factories & Boilers Department and the State Health
& Industries Department. The industries in the area and
their managements have been completely ignoring the
community demands, as they know that local people are
dependent on the factories and will not go over their heads
to stop them. In the last three years there have been
frequent gas leaks and accidents, especially from Merchem, a
privately owned factory producing some fungicides and FACT,
a major fertilizer company.
Eloor itself is situated in between the river and amidst
factories and the 30,000 odd people living in the area has
literally no way of escape except to jump into the river or
get ferries (if they are the lucky ones ) if such incidents
occur. Even in this case, while about 200 people could ferry
across, more than double that number was stranded with their
fate on the banks of the river. While more from the area is
coming, we here are shocked because we understand that the
thermal degradation products of Endosulfan , HCCP and
Toluene could be highly corrosive and toxic HCl, Chlorine
gases and Phosgene. It is also felt that burning of
Organochlorine products could be producing Dioxins and
Furans, which could make matters worse. More will be added
as and when we receive news. And please do get back with
whatever information or technical support that you can
offer.
Offers of assistance to thanal@md4.vsnl.net.in
