Kidney ailments beset village, 15 die

​Adilabad: At least 15 people have died due to complications arising out of kidney ailments in the last couple of years and 15 more are on their deathbed in the remote Guruja village of Gudi Hatnoor mandal in the district as the residents have access to only highly polluted groundwater and the authorities are unwilling to provide a water filtration plant that costs about Rs 5 lakh.

Scores of others, with varying levels of debility and disablement, have resigned themselves to their fate as their families have become bankrupt due to costly treatment of ailments caused by kidney failure.

Kidney-related ailments have taken a heavy toll on the villagers. Almost all the families in the village have members affected by illnesses linked to impaired kidneys.

Jadav Chandu Nayak, a farmer, fell sick and suffered from chronic lower back pain. When he visited a private hospital, he was told that both his both kidneys were not functioning.

Despite visiting a number of hospitals and spending lakhs of rupees, his condition ultimately deteriorated and he died.

His eldest son, Bujju, was also afflicted by the kidney disease and he too died later. Now his wife, Savitri, a farmhand, is struggling with her two remaining children.

Ninth class student Akhil of the same village also died due to the kidney disease and his younger brother is now suffering from the same disease.

Three years after his brother died, he has been diagnosed with the failure of both kidneys and his days are numbered. He has appealed to the government to come to his rescue. There is no end to the agony of his parents.

Jadav Uttam Rao, Jadav Namdev, Bapurao, Jadav Pulaji, Rathode Bhum Rao, Amina, Vijay Rathode, Hinabai Rathode and Adellu are among the other victims of the kidney disease in the village who are dead. All these families have turned bankrupt and become helpless after their death.

More and more persons are becoming victims of this disease in the village. Many of them are going round hospitals with pain in lower back, spine and legs.

Lasmanna of the same village is now bedridden and cannot even attend nature’s call on his own. His wife, Bhudevi, said that their family had become insolvent due to the prohibitively costly treatment. She has appealed to the government to help the family.

Manik Rao, an advocate, lost his eyesight due to kidney failure. He had practiced in Adilabad district court for 10 years.

He can no longer practice. He appealed to the government to extend help for the education of his children. His wife, Archana, is now eking out a living as a farmhand.

She had applied for loan to start a grocery shop. However, the bankers did not release the amount, though she was told that the loan had been sanctioned. Manik Rao’s brother, Shankar, is also suffering from kidney ailment.

There are at least 15 people in the village who are suffering from failure of both the kidneys. Jadav Shankar, Pakir Nagaiah, Rathod Nikhil (9th class student), Kolluru Sunita, Susila, Jadav Kavita, Pavan Ganapati, Netula Lasmanna, Ade Janabai, Lakshmanna, Kendra Sunita, Talarla Hanmanna are among the victims who are suffering from kidney ailment and virtually on deathbed.

It has become a herculean task for their families to provide food to them, let alone arrange for their treatment.

Doctors attribute the kidney diseases to the extremely poor quality of groundwater available in the village. Two hand pumps were closed in the village.

Doctors advise the villagers to drink only filtered water. However, there is no water filtration plant in the village or nearby.

The grief-stricken villagers did appeal to the authorities to set up a water filtration plant in the village for sheer survival. The officials are not responding to their pleas.

It costs about Rs 5 lakh to set up a filter plant in the village and thus save the residents from falling prey to the fatal kidney ailment.