Staff and volunteers of the Sambhavna Trust Clinic and survivors of the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, on Monday paid homage to the people who have died as a result of the poisonous gas leak from the pesticide factory in a candlelight vigil at Iqbal Maidan on the eve of the 29th Anniversary of the disaster. Nitesh Dube, a member of the Sambhavna Trust Clinic appealed for support to the Clinic’s effort to find ways of protection against poisonous chemicals and to provide free medical care to the survivors of the disaster.
Sambhavna Trust Clinic’s unique feature is the integration of three different systems of treatment: modern medicine, Ayurveda and Yoga. The five physicians at the clinic have been able to develop safe, simple, inexpensive and effective treatments for the exposure induced ailments through a judicious mix of the three systems of healing.
Funds for running the Sambhavna Clinic come from donations by over 15, 000 people from India and UK. International bestselling writer Dominique lapierre regularly contributes to the gynaecology clinic and the informal school, run by Sambhavna.
Members of the Sambhavna Trust are actively involved in medical research on the long terms health impact of Union Carbide’s poisons and their treatment. Studies by Sambhavna have been published in international journals such as Journal of American Medical Association and American Journal of Industrial Medicine. An epidemiological study involving over 120 thousand people is currently in its final stages and the Clinic is about to begin research on detoxification through the Ayurvedic procedure of Panchakarma.
Members of Sambhavna are also active campaigners against industrial pollution and for improving quality of environmental health. Currently they have organized a poster exhibition on chemical hazards in the city and published a report on poisons in daily use products.