Establish dialysis centre at A Konduru Primary Health Centre, demands CPM

Vijayawada: It is pathetic to note that at least 19 patients of A-Konduru and Gampala Gudem mandals belonging to the poor tribal and BC communities have been suffering from prolonged kidney- related diseases. 

All the patients have been undergoing dialysis treatment for the last few months and the state government and the officials of the revenue and health departments choose to ignore them. The state government and other departments are trying to hush-up the issue from becoming public.

In this regard, CPM state working committee member Chigurupati Babu Rao held a meet here on Friday. Addressing the media, he lambasted the government for its negligent attitude towards the poor of those mandals who have been suffering from severe health issues.

Babu Rao said the villages were about 60 km from the upcoming world class capital. The villages fall in the district for which IT Minister Nara Lokesh is in-charge. It is also the home district of Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas and is the adjacent to the constituency of Irrigation Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao.

The CPM leader said that in less than three years 20 people from this area died due to kidney-related diseases. He said there are hundreds of patients suffering from kidney ailments and most of them are on dialysis. All the patients are poor agricultural laborers, he added. 

Children stopped going to school as they were the bread winners for the families, he lamented and added that the patients come to Vijayawada for treatment spending thousands of rupees. 

He said that Arogya Sri Health card would not cover the expensive tests relating to dialysis. Each patient spends about Rs 6,000 per month for health checkup besides travel expenses.

Babu Rao demanded that the government establish a full-fledged nephrology centre with three Dialysis machines at A-Konduru Primary Health Centre (PHC) and depute a resident nephrologist. 

He demanded the government use ST sub-plan funds, send medical team and conduct health tests, distribute free medicines for kidney patients, depute sufficient number of doctors at PHC.  He also demand that the GO 418 be made applicable to all patients undergoing dialysis treatment at private or government hospitals and give Rs 2,500 pension.  

He said that the government should supply Krishna river water to those villages through tankers till the water pipeline construction was completed, release compensation for people who died of kidney disease and create scientific awareness on superstitions.