Several factors seem to be responsible for the proliferation of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) cases in many parts of the state, which have been completely neglected by various government departments.
Death in Anantapur
The case of death of three people has come to light in two villages of Anantapur district. People have died of the disease in Molakalpenta village of Guntakal mandal and Ayyavaripalli village of Tadipatri mandal in Anantapur district. However, the residents of Molakalpenta do not want the media glare because they fear that their girls will not find grooms if the problem becomes known to the world.
The prevalence of CKD in these two villages is attributed to gross abuse of painkillers, rampant consumption of illicit liquor and lack of drinking water supply. The farmers here are dependent on daily wages and take painkillers at least five days a week after working hard and also take painkiller injections once a week. They also consume arrack regularly.
A preliminary survey of a small sample by preventive and social medicine experts following CKD deaths reported by Hindu Highlighted the prevalence of overuse of painkillers by people under the age of 40.
A large number of failures by government departments can be seen behind the many victims of CKD. The Rural Water Supply Department, which is responsible for the supply of pure drinking water, has not completed the work of the overhead tank built two years ago. The doctors of the District Medical and Health Department have not done regular health check-up. Drug Control Department officials failed to curb the sale of painkillers. Even the Special Enforcement Bureau failed to play its role in checking illegal liquor making and consumption.
Nephrologists are of the opinion that if these systems were in place, CKD could have been prevented to a great extent. The fluoride content in the water samples taken from various sources was found to be within the permissible limit, but was above the normal limit.
Anantapur Lok Sabha member Talari Rangaiah read about the condition of some villagers in Molakalapenta, he told Hindu that they had organized a small medical camp, which showed the gravity of the problem and that they had planned to launch a massive exercise on April 21 to visit four villages in the village for a thorough medical check-up by four different experts. Screening machines can be found. and support staff.
Areepalli Sridevi, principal of the Government Medical College, who heads the department of preventive and social medicine, also says that there is a need to conduct a thorough survey on cultural practices, food habits, drug consumption and their dosage and quality of drinking water .
Mr Rangaiah also held a meeting with the officials and doctors of the Government Medical College, Government General Hospital and Super Specialty Hospital to seek their support on the issue.
While five members each from both the villages are undergoing dialysis at a private hospital in Anantapur, there are several other pockets in the district from where patients go to private hospitals for treatment of kidney ailments.
Cases increasing continuously in Guntur
“75% of kidney diseases are preventable, provided they are detected and diagnosed by experts” Dr. Chinta Ram Krishnasenior nephrologist
Similarly, Guntur is another area where many cases of CKD have been reported in the recent past. Inadequate number of nephrologists, lack of skilled human resources and infrastructure could be the main reasons, explains Dr. Chinta Rama Krishna, senior nephrologist, Guntur.
He said that based on the available data, the number of kidney patients is increasing every year. He is doing 2,000 dialysis per month in his private hospital alone. He said that the burden is on the experts and infrastructure as the cases are increasing day by day.
He also pointed out that there are only around 150 nephrologists in the state, a meager number to cater to the increasing number of patients.
Dr. Rama Krishna says that more than 75 percent of kidney diseases are preventable, provided they are identified and diagnosed by experts. Stating that people with diabetes and hypertension are more susceptible to CKD, Dr. Rama Krishna suggests getting checked regularly.
Dr. Mohammed Aslam, assistant professor at Guntur Medical College and Government General Hospital, says IgA nephropathy is detected in six out of 10 cases he sees. It is a nephropathic syndrome, where patients pass protein through urine. Recently young girls have also been seen suffering from sudden hair loss due to kidney diseases. He says that boys are also becoming CKD patients in adolescence.
’60 deaths in A Konduru in 2022′
“Till date more than 300 people have died due to CKD and 60 deaths are expected in 2022 alone. In 2023, there were 12 deaths in the circle. There are over 2,500 persons suffering from CKD, and the medical facilities provided by the government are inadequate”Ch. Babu RaoCPM State Secretariat Member
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) NTR District’s A. Has become endemic in villages like Konduru, Reddigudem and Tiruvuru. Several cases of people suffering from high creatinine levels were found in 15 tribal villages with a population of about 15,000 people.
After several studies, it was found that the increase in the number of CKD cases is not only due to groundwater but also the lifestyle and food habits of the villagers.
While the government claims that only a small number of people need dialysis, local people and opposition parties claim that there are more CKD patients with high levels of creatinine who need dialysis, and that hundreds of people in the region suffer from the disease. Are.
The CPI(M), under the leadership of its state secretariat member Ch. Babu Rao visited the villages when a person V. Yesu died due to CKD twenty days back. Mr. Babu Rao alleges that in Konduru mandal, more than 300 people have died due to CKD so far and 60 people have died in 2022 alone. He says that in 2023, 12 people were murdered in Mandal. He further said that there were over 2,500 persons suffering from CKD, and the medical facilities provided by the government were inadequate.
On the other hand, with the rise in CKD cases in the region, the government started a pipeline project to supply drinking water from the Krishna River. The government approved a project worth Rs 38 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission.