Congress urges govt to rescue kidney patients in Uddanam

Visakhapatnam: State Congress BC Cell Vice Chairman Mula Venkatarao on Sunday urged the government to come to the rescue of Uddanam kidney patients immediately. In a release, he said even after 30 years, when it came to the public notice about kidney failure issue in Uddanam area of Srikakulam, the people are suffering a lot. The average kidney failures in Uddanam is much higher than that of national figures. According to one study, number of people, who lost their precious lives is more than 20,000 with kidney failure. Once a land of coconut trees, Uddanam now is appearing like a green graveyard with continuous death knell.

He said the families were falling in debt trap in order to meet the expenses to be incurred for the treatment.

Reputed foreign institutes and health universities have deputed their teams to this remote area Uddanam for finding out the reasons but in vain. Those researches were also stopped due to lack of funding without reaching a logical end.

He said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had assured to solve the issue during his poll campaign. After YSRCP government formed, he issued a GO 102 for establishing hospital, dialysis centres and research institute in Uddanam. However, nothing had happened for the betterment of people of Uddanam. Appointing one health worker for each 500 patients, free bus facility to assistants of patients and Rs 10,000 monthly pension for each patient - these announcements were also not fulfilled by the government. Only hundreds of patients are getting aid from the government when there are thousands of patients.

He appealed the government to appoint nephrologist in Srikakulam RIMS Hospital immediately on full time basis and super specialists should be appointed for Palasa Hospital.

Separate hospital should be established at Uddanam exclusively for kidney patients on war footing. Research teams should be deployed with the help of ICMR and Harvard University at Uddanam for finding the reasons for the decease.