Phulbani: Kidney disease has acquired alarming proportions at Ranipathar village under Khajuripada block in Kandhamal district. However, the heath authorities are failing to detect the exact reason for growing cases of kidney disease in the village. 11 fresh cases have been diagnosed from the blood samples which were collected by the health officials in October. In the last week of October, Orissa Post had carried a report on the death of 10 people owing to kidney disease and over 150 being affected by the disease.
Following the media report, the Collector had directed the Health department to stake stock of the situation in the village and look into the causes of the kidney disease. On October 27, a team of health officials from the district headquarters hospital (DHH) and the Khajuripada CHC had collected 21 blood samples from suspected kidney-affected patients and their family members and neighbours.
Of the 21 blood samples, 11 have confirmed kidney cases. It has been decided that health officials will collect blood samples from people aged above 30 from all the families. Chief district medical officer (CDMO) Manoj Kumar Upadhyay said that blood sample reports pinpointed 11 kidney ailment cases while three patients are under treatment at the district headquarters hospital. He also said that the disease could have a lot to do with the drinking water and the RWSS authorities have been asked to collect water samples for laboratory test.
With kidney disease on the rise and 10 lives lost already, people of Ranipathar village have been living in apprehension of being affected by the disease. Locals alleged that the administration is least concerned about such steady rise of kidney disease in Nuasahi, Bangalasahi, Rugudisahi and Khandikutisahi of the panchayat. “If anyone is down with fever, all people are panicked about possibility of kidney disease,” they said. Champeswar Sahu, a resident of Bangalasahi was down with fever seven years ago. He was admitted to the district headquarters hospital. But the fever did no subside and he was referred to VIMSAR in Sambalpur where doctors diagnosed that he was hit by kidney problem. For last eight months, another villager Tukuna Behera has been confined to his house after being affected by kidney disease.
One Pramod Kumar Behera is suffering from the same disease with his hemoglobin count falling by the day. Many other people such as Barun Kahanr, Indrajit Dip, Sukant Behera, Damodar Behera, Gokula Behera and Ratna Behera are affected by the disease. People suspect that the water of some tube wells causes the rise of kidney cases.
