Western Kazakhstani village of Beryozovka has a resurgence of fainting incidents involving children.
Western Kazakhstani village of Beryozovka has a resurgence of fainting incidents involving children.
An unexpected malaise has struck sixth graders Temirlan Temirgaliyev and Ruzanna Nazbaeva and fifth grader Yana Shcherbinina during classes, Tengrinews reports citing Moi Gorod.
The incident occurred on April 11 and was filmed on camera by parents of the sixth graders. On the video one can see the boy and the girl are laying flat on school desks and people trying to bring them back to consciousness.
Mass fainting in the village of Berezovka was first recorded in November 2014. Then, 25 children and four adults were taken to the hospital with the same symptoms: dizziness, cramps and nausea. In December, another 17 children and six adults ended up in hospitals.
Temirlan Temirgaliyev’s father said that two weeks ago, the fifth, sixth and seventh grades were moved to study at the local House of Culture as part of a pilot project. However, the kids studied there without any incidents for only the first two days. Then, the notorious problems restarted: almost every day his son needed a doctor after going to school.
"Every day my son goes to school in the morning, but by eleven o'clock his teachers call me and tell me to take my son home, because he is feeling bad again," Tlek Temirgaliyev shared.
He also told the journalists that after a full treatment in Aktobe the symptoms of his son’s disease changed.
"Before, he had convulsions,” the father says. “After the treatment in Aktobe the seizures passed, but his vision deteriorated. Now, the boy’s blood pressure falls sharply, his legs become numb and he loses the ability to speak. He also has infrequent chest pains."
Ruzanna’s mother Oksana Nazbayeva also said that she was taking her daughter back home from school early almost every day.
"Teachers say that Ruzanna just sits in the class, but then suddenly faints falling right from her chair. Or walks down the hall and faints. We have treated our daughter in an Aktobe clinic. It seemed like we cured the convulsions, but now it all has started again. When she regains consciousness, she wants to sleep very much as though she is very tired and has not slept for a long time," the mother said.
Residents of Berezovka that is located near the Karachaganak oil and gas field are demanding a relocation. They blame their health issues on poor ecology and unsafe practices at one of Kazakhstan’s major fields. However, local authorities do not seem to be in a hurry to do the resettlement.
By Dinara Urazova