CUTTACK: Even as several villages in Narsinghpur and Badamba region continue to battle high prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related mortality, yet another village under Banki block of the district seems to have come under its grip.
While more than 20 people in Kantapanhara village of the block are said to have died of kidney disease in the last five years, around 30, including youth and elderly, are suffering from CKD and under treatment.
As many as eight persons - Dama Dehuri (70), Chhaya Naik (55), Rambha Dei (62), Doita Dehuri (56), Arakhita Behera (70), Sadhua Behera (40), Tofani Sahu (58) and Chandra Sekhar Jena (58) have reportedly succumbed in the last four months. Locals said, since a majority of the villagers belong to low-income group, it is difficult on their part to afford money for treatment.
A 49-year-old Madhab Behera was diagnosed with kidney disease two years back. He first went to SCB medical college and hospital for treatment, but presently is doing so at a private hospital. “At least, `5,000 is being spent every month towards medicines for the treatment of my husband. I have no other means than to borrow money. Due to the unavailability of hand loan, I have not been able to purchase medicine for my husband for the last one month,” said Madhab’s wife Ranjeeta.
The villagers have submitted a petition to Cuttack collector on the matter and urged him to initiate necessary steps to find out the cause leading to the outbreak of renal disease besides taking remedial measures to check the spread.
“We are dependant on tube wells as the drinking water supply through Basudha Yojana is erratic and available in a gap of seven to eight days. We suspect excess iron content in the tube well water is causing the disease. Though we have been drawing the attention of the block administration, no step has yet been taken in this regard,” read the petition signed by several villagers.
Chief district medical officer Satyabrat Chhotray said a medical team has been deputed in the village to take stock of the situation. “We are also going to conduct a health check-up and screening camp in association with experts from the ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, on June 22 and 23. Apart from screening the population, the expert team will make a study on various factors which are responsible for the spread of the disease,” Chhotray said.
Notably, at least 21-gram panchayats in Narsinghpur block and 17-gram panchayats in Badamba are also affected by kidney disease. Of the 1,624 patients identified in Narasinghpur and Badamba blocks, as many as 1,551 are suffering from CKD.