Step up public awareness in areas endemic to kidney ailments: NTR DC’

NTR District Collector Dr G Lakshmisha has directed health and medical officials to organise extensive public awareness programmes in coordination with various departments and form a special team for implementation and monitoring in villages across A Kondur mandal.
A coordination meeting was held on Saturday at the Pingali Venkaiah Conference Hall on the collectorate premises in Vijayawada under the chairmanship of Dr Lakshmisha.
The meeting focused on future measures for the prevention and control of kidney disease in A Kondur and reviewed the issues and suggestions discussed in the previous meeting held on January 18.
The Collector instructed pollution control officials to conduct tests within 20 days to check for traces of uranium, cadmium, arsenic, and other harmful elements in the air. He also directed the Agriculture Department to conduct soil tests for nephrotoxic metals.
Dr Lakshmisha noted that while the Rural Water Supply Department is already providing safe drinking water, groundwater samples should also be tested for heavy metals and contaminants at ICMR and ANGRU labs to ensure accuracy.
He emphasised the need for awareness programmes in 15 ‘Tandas’ covering 3,600 households and other affected areas. He also called for expanding the Excise Department’s Navodayam initiatives.
The Collector instructed officials to create publicity materials and digital content to discourage the consumption of illicit arrack and the indiscriminate use of painkillers and antibiotics.
He suggested organising innovative art exhibitions to spread awareness.
Further, he directed officials to ensure uninterrupted nephrology and dialysis services as per schedule.
DMHO Dr M Suhasini, DCHS Dr BCK Nayak, Associate Professor K Srinivas, GGH Nephrology Department Head Ch Nageswara Rao, Dr NTR Medical Service Coordinator Dr J Suman, RWS SE Vidyasagar, Environmental Engineer P Srinivas, District Agriculture Officer DMF Vijayakumari, and others attended the meeting.