Bhopal: 42-year-old Nilofer, a survivor of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, is in urgent need of a kidney transplant since February 2026. Although gas survivors are entitled to free medical treatment, Nilofer has not received the full financial support required for the procedure. The Supreme Court Monitoring Committee, after being alerted to her case, has directed the gas relief department to sanction the entire amount needed, rather than a fixed sum, for the treatment of all gas victims.
Current Funding Shortfall
Under the Ayushman scheme, the gas relief department currently sanctions only Rs 4 lakh for kidney transplants for gas victims. However, private hospitals in Bhopal where such facilities are available charge at least Rs 6.5 lakh for the surgery. This leaves patients like Nilofer struggling to arrange the remaining funds.
Monitoring Committee's Stance
Purnendu Shukla, a member of the Monitoring Committee, stated that the committee has consistently opposed the payment of funds to gas victims under the Ayushman scheme in its quarterly reports to the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He emphasized that gas victims constitute a separate category entitled to free treatment without any financial ceiling. The committee, in a letter to Ashok Varnwal, Additional Chief Secretary of Gas Relief, reminded him of the clear directives from the Supreme Court and the MP High Court, which have repeatedly stated that the state government must bear the entire cost of treatment for gas victims.
Nilofer's Case
Nilofer’s estimated cost for a kidney transplant at a Bhopal hospital is Rs 6 lakh, but the gas relief department has only sanctioned Rs 4 lakh. The Monitoring Committee has urged Varnwal to sanction the remaining Rs 2 lakh as soon as possible so that the transplant can proceed without delay. Nilofer has been unable to secure the total funds since February 2026, despite her mother volunteering to donate a kidney. The Bhopal Group for Information and Action, an NGO working with gas victims, brought her case to the Monitoring Committee and senior gas relief officials, warning that failure to provide free treatment constitutes contempt of court. They noted that Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Anurag Jain had submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court in April 2026, in response to a contempt petition regarding non-compliance with SC orders on medical care, stating that the state government ensures all gas victims and their children receive the best possible treatment free of cost.
Broader Implications
Rachna Dhingra of the NGO told the Times of India that the situation with kidney transplant patients is a clear violation of the Supreme Court order. She accused the state government of bringing gas victims under the Ayushman scheme since 2023 to save money, despite its obligation to provide free treatment at any facility if not available at gas relief hospitals. Dhingra highlighted that Nilofer is not alone; she has mentioned three other cases in her letter to the Monitoring Committee where only Rs 4 lakh was sanctioned, forcing patients to arrange the remainder themselves. Since Nilofer cannot afford the extra amount, she continues to struggle to get her transplant done.
Government Response
A senior gas relief department official stated that they are working on a policy change to relax the Rs 4 lakh ceiling for kidney transplants. He acknowledged that while the amount was previously sufficient, complaints have prompted a review. However, despite the Monitoring Committee's letter dated May 20, 2026, the remaining Rs 2 lakh has still not been sanctioned to Nilofer. Her agonizing wait for a kidney transplant, which could restore her health, continues.
