Kidney ailments killing villagers,100 dead in 2yrs

The remote Gunupalli village in Vajarapukotturu mandal of Srikakulam district is cursed. The people are dying a slow death and neighbouring villagers even fear to dream of visiting this place.T People in around 40 villages of Vajrapukothuru, Kaviti mandals and few in Palasa of Srikakulam district suffering with various kidney ailments are now looking for aid from state government.
It was reported that more than 100 persons died with unknown kidney ailments in these mandals in a short span of two years. The number is high in Vajrapukothuru mandal. But until now there was no constructive study or efforts made by the State into this serious issue. Ganogala Komalamma, a resident of Gunupalli is still in the state of shock. She cannot digest the fact that her loving husband and caring son are no more. They died a two years back due to chronic renal failure, which had become a very common disease in these mandals. More than 85 died in just 12 villages coming under Akkupalli Primary Health Centre in Vajrapukothuru mandal but the official records available at the PHC shows the number is just 7. And the names of Rama Rao, 50 and Santha Rao, 26, husband and son of Komalamma whom this correspondent met were not listed in the PHC records. Now these villagers go all the way to Vizag around 180kms from the village to get kidney treatment, as the government was not able to provide any facilities to treat this ‘costly’ disease. “It’s a very costly affair. And there is no guarantee that one would survive after the treatment starts.