The Bhopal Medical Appeal

20/08/2026

Ratna's Story

“I got married in the year of the disaster. After marriage I moved in with my husband’s family in Bhopal from my village Mungawali (about 200 kms. away). On the night of the disaster my husband’s parents and his siblings were there in our house which was about 2 kms. from the Union Carbide factory. When the gas hit us, we started coughing and choking with eyes burning and vomiting. However, because our apartment was on the second floor the intensity was not much. We decided to stay indoors and not try to run. However, I later found out that my husband, his father and brother had indeed gone out. They were in a terrible state when I saw them in the morning. All three got severe respiratory problems since that day. My husband who worked at a jeweler’s was not able to blow because of his lung problems, so he lost his job. My brother-in-law died from stomach and lung problems 4 years after the disaster at a young age. I lost my husband to Tuberculosis, 6 years after the disaster and my father-in-law died 10 years after the disaster. I was pregnant at the time of the disaster but I suffered a miscarriage soon after. Three subsequent pregnancies ended up in miscarriage and I was not able to have children. Though I looked okay on the outside, I had several health problems including Hypothyroidism. I was able to get better through Yoga and plant medicines.

I joined Sambhavna in 2003 when the herbal garden at Sambhavna was started. I am one of the three persons looking after the herbal garden. I am also qualified in the use of herbal medicines and most often I am the one giving plant medicines to people under care at the Clinic. Plant medicines are particularly effective for non-healing ulcers, kidney stones, muscle and joint pains, hair fall and certain skin ailments. One of the things I have learnt at Sambhavna is about the complex and long term health impact of exposure to poisonous chemicals. I had known nothing about this earlier. I have also come to know how corporations victimise ordinary people in their pursuit of maximizing profits. Working at Sambhavna is a totally different experience compared to working anywhere else. Here each staff member is encouraged to think for herself and discuss creative ideas with colleagues. Independent ideas are put to action after collective discussion."

To donate and support the life-changing healthcare Ratna and the Sambhavna staff are providing to other survivors of the Union Carbide Bhopal gas disaster, visit:

https://donate.bhopal.org/appeal/index.aspx?content=Summer2026

11/08/2026

Rajiv's Story

“I was 4 years old at the time of the disaster. There were five of us in the family, my parents and my younger brother and sister. My mother told me our parents carried all three of us and joined the crowd running away from the gas clouds. She said our eyes were burning as the gas had the pungency of smoke from a burning chili pepper. Both of my parents remain chronically ill ever since the disaster. My mother has breathing difficulties. My sister complains of pain all over her body and she gets tired easily.

In 2008 I was diagnosed with a mental illness. I have been under medical care for last 18 years. Most often I stay okay when I take my medicines. Without the medicines my head gets filled with all kinds of ideas. I start fearing that someone was following me and may attack me. I worry that people around me were conspiring against me to cause harm. I am unable to sleep because of the thoughts that fill me. Sometimes I go through episodes of illness despite being on medication.

I joined Sambhavna in 2012 as a Community Health Worker. After 5 years of working in the community I sought a change as I was finding it very difficult to speak in public meetings. I moved to the herbal garden and I am very happy working here. Before joining Sambhavna I worked in a few other places but faced much disrespect and ill treatment. Here at Sambhavna staff have a right to equality. Staff are treated with respect and there is an atmosphere of camaraderie.”

To donate and support the life-changing healthcare Rajiv and the Sambhavna staff are providing to other survivors of the Union Carbide Bhopal gas disaster, visit:

https://donate.bhopal.org/appeal/index.aspx?content=Summer2026

THE BHOPAL MEDICAL APPEAL | Thank you for making a donation. Your money helps us provide free medical care to the survivors of both disasters in Bhopal. We are funded almost exclusively by the generosity of ordinary people around the world.

03/08/2026

Farhat's Story:

“My parents have told me that I was just three months old at the time of the disaster. The entire family had gone to watch a movie that evening and were asleep when the disaster struck. Our house was next to the main road so all of us were awakened by people screaming “run, run!” outside. Our family joined the crowd that was running towards the hospital. My elder sister Afroze used to be very sick and was often admitted to the hospital when we were growing up. 15 years back she was diagnosed with a kidney disease and had to be put on dialysis. My mother has severe breathing difficulty and has been diagnosed with interstitial lung disease. At times when she is breathless, she turns blue and needs to be given oxygen. I had a younger sister Neha, who was born four years after the disaster. She died of a kidney disease at 24 leaving behind a daughter, Aina, with cerebral palsy. As her father abandoned her, we look after our niece who is now 15 years old.

I joined Sambhavna in September 2009. Working at Sambhavna changed my perspective in a major way. Earlier I used to feel sad and stressed because of the health problems in our family. My work as a community health surveyor requires me to go visit survivors and others in their homes. Through this I realized that the problems in my family were not ours alone, but thousands of families were in a situation similar to ours. Along with problems, I also learnt about possibilities.

During my regular visits to the communities I saw that a child named Ashar with cerebral palsy had improved considerably in a matter of few years. From his mother I found that his improvement was mostly because the mother spoke to the child constantly even if he did not respond for the first few weeks. I started doing the same with my niece Aina and indeed it has helped a lot, now she smiles when she recognizes us and responds when we call her name.”

To donate and support the life-changing healthcare Farhat and the Sambhavna staff are providing to other survivors of the Union Carbide Bhopal gas disaster, visit:

https://donate.bhopal.org/appeal/index.aspx?content=Summer2026

THE BHOPAL MEDICAL APPEAL | Thank you for making a donation. Your money helps us provide free medical care to the survivors of both disasters in Bhopal. We are funded almost exclusively by the generosity of ordinary people around the world.

27/07/2026

Shweta's Story:

“I was six years old at the time of the disaster. We lived in a “kutcha house” (clay walls and terracotta roof tiles that could not keep gas from entering) in Shajahanabad (about 2 kilmoetres from the factory). I remember waking up coughing and screaming “mirchi, mirchi!” and our dog barking non-stop outside, before my grandmother opening the wooden front door and a rush of gas clouds filling the room. My baby brother, just six months old, was crying and my mother was trying to comfort him. I went back to sleep coughing. That night there were 12 of us in our family. In the long-term, all my family members had the same chronic diseases that affect the survivors of the disaster – lung diseases, tuberculosis, thyroid disorders, diabetes, heart diseases. My granny, aunt and brother were diagnosed with TB, my father had chronic lung disease and he died of a heart attack.

I joined Sambhavna in 2002 as a computer operator and in 2014 I started working as a registration assistant. It is difficult to find words to describe the way working at Sambhavna has transformed me. Before joining here, I was terrible at communicating my thoughts and feelings. I was ultra passive and tended to cry more often than speak out. Working at Sambhavna gave me the confidence to present my thoughts and feelings and to argue for what I believe and most of all to have an identity of my own. Working in different committees in the Clinic has also been great
learning opportunities. I have been part of the Steering Committee on 5 occasions and they have meant sharing huge responsibilities. This year for the first time I am in the “Heart” committee (the committee that looks after the Clinic’s weekly meeting).”

To donate and support the life-changing healthcare Shweta and the Sambhavna staff are providing to other survivors of the Union Carbide Bhopal gas disaster, visit:

https://donate.bhopal.org/appeal/index.aspx?content=Summer2026

THE BHOPAL MEDICAL APPEAL | Thank you for making a donation. Your money helps us provide free medical care to the survivors of both disasters in Bhopal. We are funded almost exclusively by the generosity of ordinary people around the world.

20/07/2026

Shabnam's Story:

“I was about 3 or 4 years old at the time of the disaster. All of us were asleep when the gas hit our area. We were eight in the family, my three brothers, two sisters and our parents. My parents told me, a neighbour came and banged on our door that night telling us that a nearby farmhouse had caught fire. We got up and I went out with my father who brought me in when I started complaining of burning in the eyes. My father told all of us to stay indoors and himself went out. Next morning we found that our goats had died, so had the chicken.

Despite prolonged medication and even a surgery and after so many years I still have vision problems. Except two of my siblings, all members of my family who were hit by the gas that night needed to wear glasses following the disaster. My mother was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, and she suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed. She passed away in 2013. My father was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, and he passed away the same year.

The first time I came to Sambhavna was when I accompanied my sister there. By then I had become a trained nurse and was working in a private hospital. What struck me at Sambhavna was how nicely everyone spoke there and with so much love. I remember thinking, half of people’s health problems must be going away because of the lovely behaviour of the doctors and other staff. I so wished I was working there. My wish came true in 2009 when I was selected to work at Sambhavna. Here everyday as a nurse I witness the magical effect of demonstrating care and love to the patients.”

To donate and support the life-changing healthcare Shabnam and the Sambhavna staff are providing to other survivors of the Union Carbide Bhopal gas disaster, visit:

https://donate.bhopal.org/appeal/index.aspx?content=Summer2026

17/07/2026

This Summer we're fundraising for the Sambhavna Trust clinic in Bhopal. Starting this Monday, we'll be sharing stories from staff members, all of whom are themselves survivors of the 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster. Please consider donating to support Sambhavna's provision of free, holistic, ethical and fully sustainable healthcare to survivors of the disaster and ongoing water contamination.

To learn more about Sambhavna visit: https://www.bhopal.org/sambhavna-clinic/

To donate, visit: https://donate.bhopal.org/appeal/index.aspx?content=Summer2026

19/06/2026

A reminder that the poetry workshop Unprecedented Negligence: Collective and Individual Responses to the Bhopal Disaster is this coming Thursday June 25th!

Join poet Hazel Stewart for a creative online workshop exploring the legacy of the Bhopal disaster through poetry, reflection and wordplay.

No previous writing experience needed – this workshop is open to complete beginners as well as experienced writers. Through guided writing exercises, we'll explore individual and collective responses to one of the world's worst industrial disasters and imagine more hopeful futures for those still living with its consequences.

We're also delighted to welcome guest poet Avaes Mohammad, who will read his powerful poem Bhopal.

Thursday 25 June
7pm (UK)
Online via Zoom
Free to attend (donations welcome)

Book your place via Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/unprecedented-negligence-creative-responses-to-the-bhopal-disaster-tickets-1991690726578?aff=oddtdtcreator

18/05/2026

A reminder that our free exhibition Enduring Violence: Bhopal’s Ongoing Water Disaster, opens this Wednesday, May 20th and runs until Sunday May 24th, 12pm-5pm, at The Phoenix Art Space, Brighton. Curated by Dr. Lynn Wray and new BMA trustee Professor Clare Barker from the LivingBodiesObjects collaboration, the exhibition will highlight the current water contamination near the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal through the testimonies of survivors, photographs, and original artwork. It is a poignant reminder of how the effects of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy continues to harm generations of Bhopalis. We hope you're already enjoying Brighton Fringe festival and that we'll see you there!

11/05/2026

Our free exhibition Enduring Violence: Bhopal’s Ongoing Water Disaster, runs Wednesday, May 20th - Sunday May 24th, 12pm-5pm, at The Phoenix Art Space, Brighton. Curated by Dr. Lynn Wray and new BMA trustee Professor Clare Barker from the LivingBodiesObjects collaboration, the exhibition will highlight the current water contamination near the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal through the testimonies of survivors, photographs, and original artwork. It is a poignant reminder of how the effects of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy continues to harm generations of Bhopalis. We are delighted to again be participating in the Brighton Fringe festival and hope you can join us there!

27/04/2026

It is with deep sadness that we heard news of the passing of India's most acclaimed photojournalist, Raghu Rai, yesterday April 26th, at the age of 83.

Rai faithfully documented the aftermath of the 1984 Union Carbide Bhopal gas disaster in a series of the most striking and harrowing pictures ever taken, including the image of a father brushing the dirt from the face of his child to look at her a final time as he laid her to rest, an image which has become synonymous with the disaster and the struggles of the survivors.

His other photographs capture the true extent of the injuries suffered by the people of Bhopal that night, and the enduring spectre of the UCC pesticide factory looming over the city you see here.

He remained a loyal friend and ally of both the Bhopal survivor community and the Bhopal Medical Appeal all his life, even as he continued to document the events that shaped the course of Indian history over the past four decades. He was a true visionary that saw his work as a spiritual calling, and time and again shone a light on injustice wherever it arose. He will be sorely missed.