Why is poor's life so cheap?

Why is poor's life so cheap?

Sankara Narayanan
QUOTE:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Poor-women-used-as-guinea-pigs-in-Andhra/articleshow/8881808.cms

Poor women used as guinea pigs in Andhra
TNN Jun 17, 2011, 06.29am IST

PIDUGURALLA (GUNTUR): Exactly a decade after farmers in Palnadu region

sold their kidneys to clear their mounting debts, poverty-stricken women from
the backward Palnadu region have fallen prey to clinical trials by a Hyderabad-
based pharma company.

The clinical tests on human beings, reportedly without the requisite permission
of the state government, came to light on Thursday when some of the victims
fell seriously ill in Piduguralla town. Many of those who returned from the lab after
the tests developed acute joint pains, swelling in arms and throat infections.
Acting swiftly, district collector V N Vishnu directed district medical and health officer Gopi Naik to rush to Piduguralla and probe the incident.
"Though the pharma company promised to pay us huge amounts before conducting
the tests, they paid me only 9,000," rued Shaik Bibi, who underwent the tests along
with several other women in the lab in Miyapur, Hyderabad.

The firm, breaking all rules, did not provide any information to the women on the
nature of tests conducted on them.
"Some middlemen engaged by the company take the illiterate women directly to the lab. This has been going on for some time now," sources said.
Though the women returned home without any complications, side-effects of the
pills they had consumed at the lab nearly 3-4 months back are showing now.
"I was perplexed when I could not walk even a couple of yards a few days ago.
Initially I thought it was a routine sickness. After going through medical tests here,
I came to know that it was the result of the drug administered at the lab in
Hyderabad," said Paila Dhanalakshmi.
Sources said the people selected for the clinical trials are `detained' in the lab for
four continuous days. According to the women, they came across people from
north Indian states also in the lab. "But we were strictly not allowed to interact
with others," a woman revealed. Most of the women who went from Piduguralla
are farm workers and daily wagers.

A counseling session is conducted for the selected people and later they are forced
to sign on a bond before undergoing the tests. "If everything goes well after
taking a tablet, the person is asked to visit the lab again after 10 days when an
injection is given. Another dose of injection is administered after 10 days.
We were paid Rs 9,000 for the three rounds of tests," said a victim Jakka Kumari.
"If any abnormalities in the blood samples are found or the volunteer
develops complications, he/she is sent back by handing over a mere Rs 1,000,"
stated a weeping Kommu Karunamma.
Sources said more than 40-50 people from Adarsh Colony, Chandrapalem
and Indiramma Colony in Piduguralla have been visiting the lab for the past few months.
When contacted, one of the brokers, Shaik Jameela, who reportedly took some
women to the Hyderabad-based lab, shot back: "The women are selling their
own blood and not anyone else's. What's the problem."
She claimed that the women she had taken did not complain of any side-effects.
Meanwhile, six of the affected women are being shifted to the
Guntur government hospital. "If we come across any irregularities, we will slap
a case against the pharma company," warned the DM&HO