VISAKHAPATNAM: With new cases arising due to post-gas leak complications, residents of RR Venkatapuram urged the authorities to initiate steps to ensure better healthcare for them. They said though they have recovered from the styrene vapour leak, still most of them are facing health problems such as irritation in eyes, heart burn, nausea, indigestion and respiratory problems.
Allaying their fears, Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao alias Avanthi on Tuesday said a health clinic will start functioning here soon. As the residents are against the location of the clinic at a school, the authorities were looking for alternative site, the minister said. As promised by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, a full-fledged YSR Hospital will be constructed at RR Venkatapuram. He said the government will stand by the people in the five affected villages, Avanthi said.
CPM city secretary B Ganga Rao said though Kanakaraju from RR Venkatapuram died on Monday, none of the officials visited his house. Earlier this week, 73-year-old Venkayamma succumbed while undergoing treatment. He demanded that the government declare health emergency in Venkatapuram and that all medical tests be conducted on each and every resident. Meanwhile, the residents said they were being treated by ANMs and Asha workers, who are giving them tablets. But the problems are persisting since the tablets were only providing temporary relief.
E Maruti, a resident of RR Venkatapuram, said he was treated for a week and discharged on May 14. Though irritation in eyes has subsided, he was having burning sensation in stomach and rashes on hands and legs. Medicines are only giving temporary relief, he lamented. According to Padmavati, an ANM from RR Venkatapuram, initially, 500 people used to visit the medical camp daily. Slowly, their number reduced to 30 to 40 a day.
But some residents are still complaining of the symptoms of irritation in eyes, weakness and other issues. There are three ANMs and six Asha workers attending to problems of people in five affected villages of Venkatapuram, Nandamuri Nagar, Kamparapalem, and Janata Park Colony and SC/BC Colony.
VRO Satya Tulasi, who along with two volunteers, fell unconscious when they opened the ward secretariat office on May 11, said 100 trucks of spoiled essentials have been collected from houses in the village.
Venkata Reddy, another resident, said people were apprehensive about their health status in future. He said they admitted Karthik, a youth from Nandamuri Nagar to KGH, as he developed health problems.
‘Medicines giving only temporary relief’
E Maruti, a resident of RR Venkatapuram, said he was treated for a week and discharged on May 14. Though irritation in eyes has subsided, he was having burning sensation in stomach and rashes on hands and legs. Medicines are only giving temporary relief, he said