The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) is planning to set up a hospital in one of the villages affected by the gas leak from LG Polymers plant at Venkatapuram, its district branch chairman P. Venugopal said.
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Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan interacted with the Collectors of all 13 districts in the State and chairmen of IRCS district branches through video link on Wednesday.
Collector V. Vinay Chand and Dr. Venugopal apprised the Governor of the activities taken up by the IRCS during the lockdown and after the gas leak.
Dr. Venugopal said the proposed hospital would cater to the needs of the children affected by styrene. About 60 children were undergoing treatment at the King George Hospital (KGH). The children would be screened for hearing assessment, IQ, growth and development for a year in association with Andhra Medical College (AMC).
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IRCS, Visakhapatnam, had distributed 3,000 food packets and water packets to families which had vacated their villages after the gas leak. It had also provided food packets, bread, biscuits and water packets to home-bound migrant workers. A total of 387 units of blood were given to patients from the IRCS blood bank in Visakhapatnam during the lockdown. Nine units of blood were given to thalassemia patients free of cost.
Blood donation
IRCS blood bank had given 68 units of blood to the KGH, Victoria Government Hospital and Chintapalli Area Hospital during lockdown.
District Collector Vinay Chand, who is also president of IRCS district branch, said food packets and water packets were distributed to stranded passengers and homeless people during the COVID-19 crisis and dry rations like rice, dal and oil packets were distributed to daily wage earners, who lost their livelihood. Face masks and hand sanitisers were distributed to the poor.