12 March 2014 | 17:35

Sleep syndrome: countermeasures and new patients

Minister of Healthcare Salidat Kairbekova. Photo a courtesy of tengrinews.kz

While the Ministry of Healthcare is taking measures concerning the sleep syndrome, there are more cases reported. “The Ministry of Healthcare informs that since the first cases of hospitalization in March 2013, the situation at Kalachi village with the population of 680 people has been taken under control,” the press office of the Ministry reported. There have been 33 patients suffering from similar symptoms of drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, loss of coordination and partial loss of memory. ”The symptoms are temporary and disappear after 2-3 days. The condition of the patients is considered satisfactory and appropriate for their gender, age and the time of the first symptoms (…),” the report said. A special committee consisting of a number of experts from scientific institutions, the Ministry of Healthcare and the Agency of Consumer Rights Protection, has been examining the cases in Kalachi village. The committee has conducted test of 500 samples of air along with 760 tests for possible radiation background. In addition, food, water and other environmental factors affecting human health have been under the committee's scrutiny. Around 30 biomaterials have been collected for tests. The press office reported that tests and examinations showed no deviations from acceptable norms. While the committee continues its work there, five more people were admitted to the hospital with encephalopathy of unclear origin. The patients have the sleep syndrome symptoms such as partial memory loss, drowsiness, weakness and dizziness. Doctors cannot determine the reason for the syndrome. Specialists from the Semei Radiation Medicine and Ecology and their counterparts from Tomsk, Russia are planning to visit Kalachi village to conduct their own examinations to determine the cause of the mysterious illness.

While the Ministry of Healthcare is taking measures concerning the sleep syndrome, there are more cases reported. “The Ministry of Healthcare informs that since the first cases of hospitalization in March 2013, the situation at Kalachi village with the population of 680 people has been taken under control,” the press office of the Ministry reported. There have been 33 patients suffering from similar symptoms of drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, loss of coordination and partial loss of memory. ”The symptoms are temporary and disappear after 2-3 days. The condition of the patients is considered satisfactory and appropriate for their gender, age and the time of the first symptoms (…),” the report said. A special committee consisting of a number of experts from scientific institutions, the Ministry of Healthcare and the Agency of Consumer Rights Protection, has been examining the cases in Kalachi village. The committee has conducted test of 500 samples of air along with 760 tests for possible radiation background. In addition, food, water and other environmental factors affecting human health have been under the committee's scrutiny. Around 30 biomaterials have been collected for tests. The press office reported that tests and examinations showed no deviations from acceptable norms. While the committee continues its work there, five more people were admitted to the hospital with encephalopathy of unclear origin. The patients have the sleep syndrome symptoms such as partial memory loss, drowsiness, weakness and dizziness. Doctors cannot determine the reason for the syndrome. Specialists from the Semei Radiation Medicine and Ecology and their counterparts from Tomsk, Russia are planning to visit Kalachi village to conduct their own examinations to determine the cause of the mysterious illness.

scientist doctors health Healthcare hospital Kazakh Kazakhstan Medicine Minister news radioactive disease