CUTTACK: The high incidence of chronic renal failure (CRF) and related mortalities in the pockets of Baramba and Narsinghpur block of the district continues to baffle all, as research and investigations by multiple institutions have failed to find any conclusive cause.A perplexed administration has now sought to broad-base studies to include possible genetic predisposition to the kidney diseases as well as social lifestyle, health seeking behaviour and food habits of the people in the affected areas.The comprehensive study would be undertaken by the Regional Medical Research Centre, which can collaborate with top level institutions of the country. Water and soil samples would be collected from the affected areas once again by the RMRC and sent to multiple specialised laboratories in the country.The decision comes in the wake of a series of reports by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation department, which have negated presence of heavy metals in the drinking water as the cause of kidney diseases. Heavy metals like cadmium, lead, nickel, fluoride are within normal limits in all the reports. The SPCB tests have revealed mercury content a little above the tolerance limit in samples collected from Gopalpur, Damangadia, Jhajia Panchayat, Narsinghpur Rautbhuin, Ransainghpur and Hanumanta Sagar, but the content is not as high as to cause such serious complications.The RMRC, in its preliminary report, has also failed to provide any substantive cause behind the phenomenon. Its investigations have, though, revealed raised urea and creatinine (indicators of kidney disease) levels in 68.2 per cent of symptomatic cases and 37.1 per cent asymptomatic individuals. It was also supported by albuminuria in 33.3 per cent of cases.The epidemiological investigation was conducted in three villages with a population of 1,699. About 33 cases of renal failure were detected while these three villages have accounted for 30 deaths.A meeting convened by Collector Girish S N with the different agencies, medical experts of the SCBMCH, advocates’ committee and researchers has also decided to examine the local medicines consumed by the people. A purported medicine, locally known as ‘Pinga Batika’ and prescribed by quacks, has come under scrutiny with the Collector directing the authorities to investigate the substance. Samples of liquor available in the affected pockets will also be put to test.The ASHA workers would prepare a list of patients following a detailed survey and such people would be provided treatment under OSTF. Mobile medical team would be engaged in the region to conduct blood and urine tests on regular intervals. Widows of CRF victims would be covered under Widows pensions scheme, Girish said.
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