75% posts vacant at Uddanam Kidney Research Center, to address shortcomings

Health minister assured that he would visit the district soon and conduct a detailed assessment

The Uddanam Kidney Research Center in Srikakulam district is grappling with a severe shortage of specialists and staff, with over 75% of posts lying vacant, revealed State Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Satyakumar Yadav, during the Legislative Assembly session on Friday. Responding to questions raised by members Gautu Sirisha and Kuna Ravikumar, the minister acknowledged the lack of attention to the center during the tenure of Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

Minister Yadav emphasized the chronic and alarming nature of the kidney disease crisis in Uddanam, where many lives have been lost over the years. He detailed the origins of the research center, established following an MoU with Georgia during Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's regime. He added that it was only after visits by Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan that the issue caught the attention of the previous Jaganmohan Reddy government, which inaugurated the center in December 2019. However, the lack of adequate staffing and infrastructure has hampered its operations.