Kidney diseases on the prowl in Andhra Pradesh

The number of Chronic Kidney Disease patients from different parts of the State has been increasing rapidly, and with it, the need for more qualified nephrologists, dialysis centres, and most importantly, clean drinking water

Several causative factors which various Government departments have grossly neglected seem to have led to the spread of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) cases in several parts of the State.

The issue has come to light with three deaths reported in two villages of the Anantapur district. Molakalapenta village of Guntakal Mandal and Ayyavaripalli in Tadipatri Mandal in the Anantapur district have lost their people to this disease. However, the residents of Molakalapenta do not want the media glare as they fear their girls won’t find grooms if this problem becomes known to the world.

The gross misuse of painkillers, unchecked consumption of illicit liquor and the lack of drinking water supply are said to be the reasons for the spread of CKD in these two villages. Farmers here depend on daily wages and, after labouring hard under the hot sun, consume painkillers at least five days a week and even take painkiller injections once a week. They also consume arrack regularly.

A preliminary survey of a small sample done by Preventive and Social Medicine experts following the CKD deaths reported by The Hindu highlighted the enormity of the overuse of painkillers by those below 40 years of age.

A multitude of failures by government departments can be observed to be the reason behind many falling prey to CKD. The Rural Water Supply Department, which is responsible for the supply of pure drinking water, has not completed the works on the overhead tank built two years ago. The District Medical and Health Department doctors have not done regular health checks. The officers of the Drug Control Department failed to check the sale of painkillers. Even the Special Enforcement Bureau failed to do its part to check the illicit liquor brewing and consumption.

Had these systems been in place, the CKD could have been prevented to a large extent, opine nephrologists. The water samples from different sources showed the presence of fluoride within permissible limits but were in the above-normal range.

Anantapur Lok Sabha Member Talari Rangaiah, who read about the condition of some villagers in Molakalapenta, told The Hindu that he had organised a small medical camp, which brought out the severity of the problem and that he had planned to embark on a massive exercise on April 21 to get four screening machines to the village for a thorough medical check-up by four different specialists and supporting staff.