A group from Fremont, California approached SikhGiving with another case of kidney failure patient in Punjab. They had been referred by someone, taking in consideration the two cases of kidney patients being taken care by SikhGiving. These days kidney problems are on a steep  rise in Punjab. From the news reports (attached below), we came to a conclusion that in Punjab, there is an  urgent need of bringing awareness to the people, regarding the rise of kidney problems. The rise in kidney disease has been due to the ground water polluted with poisonous deadly chemicals such as lead & mercury. SikhGiving decided to take up a long term project on bringing such awareness in Punjab. The organization will initiate this program next year along with many other small programs.  

SikhGiving gave financial support to Gurnam Kaur of pind Dhareeya. She is suffering from the loss of both kidneys. She is admitted in PGI, Chandigarh and needed immediate financial assistance last week. They are a poor family with her husband working as a peon and three young children to support (eldest one is 15). SikhGiving gathered $900 for the financial assistance from friends and family and delivered it to Gurnam Kaur. More donations are being collected for Gurnam Kaur by the Bay Area sangat in California. More details will be coming up on our website.

Metals in water up kidney risk in Punjab
The Tribune

Punjab: The high concentration of metals, especially cadmium and mercury, found in groundwater in Punjab has made the residents vulnerable to renal damage and is contributing to the increasing incidence of kidney failure.

Even as the Punjab Pollution Control Board has failed in checking industries, especially electroplating units, the crumbling health infrastructure has left the state machinery helpless in face of the crisis.

A highly worrying medical investigation by scientists at PGI has found the groundwater in the state contaminated with heavy metals.

According to a study report the presence of mercury in groundwater is 0.04mg/l in Ludhiana's Budha nallah, 0.19 in Amritsar's Hudiara nallah, 0.028 in Nawanshahr's East Bein which is far more than maximum permissible limit of 0.001mg/l. Metals found in vegetables too.

Little wonder that out patient departments of hospitals across the state are struggling to cope up with the increasing number of people reporting with renal damage.

"We are seeing at least 20 new patients on weekly basis", says Dr DC Aulakh, a renal transplant specialist at DMC, Ludhiana.

Even PGI is struggling to cope up with an ever increasing patient load from various parts of the state. Chief investigator of the damning study, JS Thakur of PGIs department of community medicine said, "Our two-year-long research has indicated that people are at risk of developing kidney problems since the concentration of heavy metals like cadmium, lead, mercury in groundwater is very high."

What worries health experts is the fact that the state is in the middle of a crisis as the number of people suffering from kidney failures is increasing and the infrastructure to deal with the disease is conspicuous by its absence.

"We have to travel 20 km to reach Amritsar for an X-ray", says a patient Kulwant Singh from Attari village.