DHENKANAL: The condition of people affected by kidney disease in Bhusal village in Dhenkanal seems to be getting worse with every passing day. The district administration has been slow in ensuring medical help to the affected villagers, who are deprived of even basic facilities.
In fact, the incidence of kidney disease has attained an alarming proportion here. At least 20 persons - mostly men - have died of kidney disease in the last two years.
At present, as many as 13 persons have been affected by the disease and are under treatment. The rising number of cases has triggered panic among the villagers, who are primarily into farming and daily labour.
A group of members of the intelligentsia led by Raj Kishore behera had met the Collector Roopa Roshan Sahoo on October 1 and the latter assured them to do the needful.
Subsequently, Additional District Magistrate, Jyotiranjan Pradhan sent a letter to the SCB Medical College and Hospital Superintendent and Dhenkanal Sub-Collector, Jyotiranjan Pradhan for looking after treatment of the affected villagers. However, there was no response. Even the Bhuban Tehasil office took more than 15 days to issue income certificates to villagers for getting Red Cross funds, the members said.
On the other hand, two kidney patients Trilochan Panigrahi and Akshya Khuntia died on October 22 and 14 respectively. Both the patients were undergoing treatment at SCB Medical and Akshya had died in the hospital. Panigrahi had returned home from the hospital and died.
Chief District Medical Officer, Biswakalyan Patnaik had apprised the Health Department about the kidney ailment in Bhusal village three months back and again sent a letter in this regard to the department on Tuesday.
While the exact reason behind high incidence of the disease in the village is yet to be ascertained, villagers attribute it to ground water which contains mineral deposit. They said drinking water collected from borewell, tubewell and supplied through piped water supply system smells and tastes foul.