The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday ordered the secretary of Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to appear before it on January 7, 2020 over the delay in merger of Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre (BMHRC) with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) based in the state capital.
A division bench comprising Justice Sanjay Yadav and Justice Atul Sreedharan directed the secretary to appear in person over the delay in the merger of BMHRC, a multi- speciality hospital for the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy, with the AIIMS, the petitioners' counsels Naman Nagrath and Rajesh Chand said.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, in its 111th report of December 28, 2018, had recommended merger of the BMHRC with the AIIMS, Chand said.
The committee had asked the department to take necessary steps for the purpose, he said.
The BMHRC was set up by the Centre to treat the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.
According to the counsels, the court also directed the Madhya Pradesh government to fill the position of the secretary of BMHRC's monitoring committee after the post fell vacant a few months back following the retirement of the official, who held the post.
The monitoring committee carries medical surveillance of the affected persons of the Bhopal gas tragedy, they said.
The court issued the directives during the hearing of the PILs filed by the Bhopal Gas Peedith Mahila Udyog Sangthan, Bhopal Group For Information and Action, and Bhopal Gas Peedith Sangarsh Sahyog Samiti, the counsels added.