By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Bhopal: The Central Information Commission has ordered Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Center (BMHRC) to reveal all documents related to the drug trial carried out on Bhopal gas victims.
After hearing the arguments of the applicant Rachna Dhingra, the CIC held that disclosure of such information is in the larger public interest as the drug trials were carried out by multinational companies on the victims of the disaster.
On 19 February 2010, Rachna had filed an application under RTI Act seeking information on details of gas victims enrolled in drug trials, Name of companies that conducted drug trials at BMHRC and the amount of money received for these trials, Minutes of the IRB (Institutiaonal Review Board) that approved these drug trials.
BMHRC has continued to deny this information for three years. This CIC order has given hope to survivors and activists fighting on this issue so that legal action can be taken against the doctors and management responsible for the illegal and unethical drug trials conducted at BMHRC.
The information obtained from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) only had knowledge of eight trials and 13 deaths in three trials.
Rachna, who has been working for the victims of Bhopal gas disaster, however, said that she has proof for at least 15 trials that have conducted at the hospital.
This order will bring new information to light such as total number of trials, gas victims enrolled and number of death that occurred during the drug trials. The CIC has asked BMHRC to report compliance of its order within six weeks.