Even before some tangible action has been taken on screening the population at Molakalapenta near Guntakal, where five deaths were reported due to kidney ailments and published in these columns in April, a new hotspot of similar ailments has emerged at Ayyagarlapalli in Settur mandal of Anantapur district on Karnataka border.
A visit by The Hindu team to the village brought to light the existence of a number of people with kidney ailments and that at least seven died in the past three years. The worst sufferer is Vadde Anjaiah’s family, which had to sell their land and spend more than ₹5 lakh to get the 45-year-old treated.
A crestfallen Hanumakka, mother of Anjaiah, recalls the trauma her son had to undergo while getting dialysis done, and his suffering for three months with pain, before he died leaving behind two sons. “Anjaiah had no bad habits and used to dedicate his time in the fields, going to market and looking after the family at home, but some unknown cause led to the failure of his kidneys. We took him to Tirupati, Anantapur, Ballari and Kurnool for treatment, before he breathed his last,” she says.
