Pawan Kalyan puts govt on notice on Uddanam kidney diseases

VISAKHAPATNAM: Expressing concern over the gross neglect of the patients suffering from chronic kidney diseases (CKD) in the Uddanam area of Srikakulam district, actor and Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan demanded that the government allocate Rs. 100 crore to provide immediate relief to them, and appointment of a committee to go into the reasons for the disease. He said that he would lead a people’s movement if no action was taken in 15 days.

Addressing patients at Icchapuram on Tuesday, Mr. Pawan demanded that the government provide immediate medical assistance by ascertaining how many residents were affected, and studies at national and international level on why the intensity was confined to a small area affecting a large number of people.

The government should announce in the next 48 hours how it would take care of the children orphaned by the death of parents due to kidney diseases, he said.

The Union government was flush with funds after demonetisation, and the State Government spends Rs. 6,000 crore on health, he pointed out. The State government would spend hundreds of crores on “pushkaralu” and thousands of crores on the new capital, he said demanding earmarking funds to the those losing lives owing to CKD.

Even during the bifurcation of the State, the seriousness of the disease was not taken up at the Parliament level by representatives from north Andhra, he pointed out.

The actor named a five-member committee of Jana Sena to submit a report on the intensity of the disease.

Stating that he was not trying to derive any political mileage, Mr. Pawan assured the patients that he himself would take the report to the Chief Minister and other leaders seeking relief to them. The goal should be to find out why all these years no solution was found to the chronic disease and what should be done to prevent its recurrence.

During his interaction with patients, a woman broke down stating she had sold her land and the little gold she had for treatment. A man said for every dialysis he had to spend Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 3,500 thrice a week. The actor also spoke to a boy orphaned by the death of his parents owing to CKD.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan then drove to the highway via Ichhapuram from the venue, to a cinema theatre, greeting people along the way.