Almost a decade after the Union Carbide gas leak in 1984, Bhopal Hospital Trust was established to provide tertiary care medical health services to the unfortunate victims of this tragedy.  Sir Ian Percival (Ex Solicitor General of UK) was at the helm of affairs and the sole trustee of this trust.  Meticulous planning for a super-specialty hospital was done and after land was obtained construction began. It was at this time that Lady Judy Percival, wife of Sir Ian Percival, made an observation that it should be in the interest of the womenfolk of gas affected population that hospital services were made available closer to the homes, keeping in mind the distance and means of communication from the site of hospital existing at that time. When additional monies became available, her appropriate suggestion was adopted and the concept of Mini Units for the hospital took shape.  

 Mini Unit No.1 at Kainchi Chola was constructed, equipped and staffed. It was then on 09 March 1998inaugurated by Mr. Robert  Percival, a London barrister, later to be a Trustee of the BMHT The first patient approaching the BHT, as it still was then, was registered and administered treatment by Dr. Rekha Jain & Dr. Anjali Bansode and the staff of Mini Unit1 on that day. Sir Ian Percival died 3 weeks later.  

It was at the Mini Unit that general primary health care was given to the patients. Response from gas victims was overwhelming and the second Mini Unit was inaugurated at Station Bajaria on 21^st September, 1998 by the then new Chairman of the BMHT, Hon'ble Justice A.M.Ahmadi, Ex Chief Justice of India.  

Mini Unit 3 was constructed near the Cloth Mills at Chandbad on 3^rd December, 1999. This facility was inaugurated by Smt. Meera Durve, wife of the Late Shri. Harish Durve, the brave station superintendent of Bhopal Railway Station who had laid down his life while coordinating railway traffic passing through the gas leak on the tragic night of 02-03 Dec 1984.  

Mini Unit 4 was established at Tila Jamalpura in a building acquired from the Red Cross Society. It was inaugurated on 03 Feb 2000 by Shri Digvijay Singh, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh in the presence of, the Chairman of the BMHT.  

The BMHRC complex at Karond was opened to the public soon afterwards and referral services were offered to gas victims registered with the Mini Units.  

Since then further Mini Units have been opened at Ginnori, Jehangirabad, Karond and Bal Vihar. There are therefore now eight functioning Mini Units at different locations in the heart of Bhopal city, the area that was severely hit by the gas leak. At the present time there are about 425000 gas victims registered in the Mini Units. Each unit serves a daily OPD attendance of 150-300 with variations resulting from location and season. OPD services at these centres have been uninterrupted since inception.  

A Mini Unit of BMHRC has on its staff one medical specialist, one Ophthalmologist, 3-4 other Doctors and Technicians, Paramedical and supporting Personnel. It is well equipped to provide primary care consultations and first aid, disbursement of medicines, nebulization for patient with COPD / Asthma. Elementary hematological, biochemical tests can be carried out along with Plain X Rays and ECG at the mini units.  

Inventory of medicines and disposables is fully computerized and is linked on line with the HIS program of BMHRC. It is automatically updated, both on issue and receipt entries.  

Among the common disorders, illnesses prevalent are hypertension CAD 12-15%; DM / Dyslipidemia 8-12%; COPD, Bronchial Asthama 8-10%; Acid Peptic Disease / Dyspepsia 5-10%, Nephrolithiasis 2-4%; CRI 2-4%; CVA / Seizure 4-6%; Anaemia (Hb < 9gm%) 5-6%. Seasonal occurrences of Pyrexia, upper respiratory infection, gastro intestinal disorders including jaundice, skin infections, conjunctivitis are also common.  

Depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, substance abuse related conditions, insomnia, dementia and mental retardation are also significantly prevalent and such patients are  referred to BMHRC Psychiatry Department for treatment and counselling, psychotropic medicines being available only under prescription of specialists.

Facilities 

The mini units see a very large number of cases on a daily basis and the number of patients treated in the mini units from the year 2001 to 2007 is 2412847 approximately. Each mini unit is manned by four to five physicians and has facilities for pathological tests and X-ray examinations. Since most of the gas victims suffered from damage to the eyes and lungs, special facilities are available to investigate and treat them. All the mini units and the Hospital are completely computerized and interconnected.