Interdepartmental working group set up to study situation in Kalachi village

The interdepartmental working group consists of vice ministers of environment and water resources, health, industry and new technologies, regional development, emergency situations, the newly established Consumer Protection Agency and akimat of Akmola region. The group is headed by Vice Minister of Environment and Water Resources of Kazakhstan, the primeminister.kz reports.

Experts in the nuclear industry, scientific medicine, radiation and biochemical studies, as well as geologists will also be involved in the analysis.

The results will be announced to the public.

As previously reported, in order to determine the causes of diseases of unknown etiology in Kalachi village, a working group established by the Ministry of Health, studied climatic and socio-economic characteristics of the village, analyzed the results of environmental studies, medical records of people seeking medical care in period from 2013 to the present day.

Thus, according to the Ministry of Health, there were held about 7,000 studies of all factors that could cause the symptom of encephalopathy during the period from March 2013 till the present time.

Infectious and bacterial factors have been excluded. Gamma radiation level in the village remains in the normal range. The amount of salt and heavy metals does not exceed maximum permissible concentration.