Collector V. Vinay Chand on Tuesday said that medical camps will run continuously for one month in RR Venkatapuram to treat people for any after-effects of the disastrous gas leak that occurred last Thursday.
“The decision was taken in accordance with the instructions of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy,” Mr. Vinay Chand said, adding that sanitation activities that began in the five areas of RR Venkatapuram from Monday will continue for one week.
The decision to continue sanitation activities for another week was taken following inputs from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). The institute has given a set of guidelines on how to sanitise streets, outside houses, water bodies, food and others. He said that these sanitary activities will continue in the affected areas for seven days. The Revenue Department, Urban Community Development (UCD) and GVMC will monitor the activities.
Specialist doctors
Mr. Vinay Chand said that an ambulance has been stationed in the area to attend to any emergency. “Styrene monomer exposure has been found to have largely affected skin, eyesight, digestion and respiration, and we have drafted specialist doctors from the departments of ophthalmology, dermatology, gastroenterology and pulmonology from Andhra Medical College and will station them at the village,” he said.
“Most of the patients were discharged from hospital on Monday, and today there will be more discharges. Doctors will conduct one round of baseline testing of patients. From the department heads, we would seek further course of action,” he said.
The Collector also said that they are also mulling to set up a permanent medical camp in the area. MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy, district in-charge Minister for Visakhapatnam K. Kannababu and Tourism Minister M. Srinivasa Rao and other Ministers have informed the Chief Minister that there should be a permanent dispensary, where medicines and specialist doctors should be available to the locals.
“As of now, we would run static medical camps, but in future, a place would be identified and a permanent dispensary would be set up,” he said.