1 4 3 heatstroke deaths this year: Health ministry; TOI data puts no. at 209

NEW DELHI: The Union health ministry said 143 people across the country had died of heatstroke this summer, based on data of confirmed deaths collated by it from states till June 20.

The figure, however, is lower than the numbers gathered by TOI from official sources in various state govts, as per which there have been 209 confirmed heat-related fatalities so far this season, apart from 239 suspected deaths due to heat, taking the total number of confirmed and suspected mortalities to 448.

Health ministry said UP recorded the maximum 35 such deaths, followed by Delhi (21). Rajasthan and Odisha recorded 17 deaths each.

With 76 heat-stroke deaths, Delhi tops list; UP 2nd with 51
Heat stroke is a condition characterised by overheating of the body because of prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in high temperatures.

Ministry sources said the death figure may go up further as some deaths suspected to be caused by heat stroke are currently under investigation.

As per data collated by TOI, Delhi has so for recorded 76 heat-related deaths, the highest confirmed toll in the country. These numbers have been gathered from authorities in various govt hospitals in the capital. UP's Relief Commissioner Office has recorded 51 confirmed heat-related deaths while at least 65 more people were suspected to have died due to ailments related to severe heat, including 51 in Ghaziabad district and 14 in Noida district.

Odisha reported the third highest number of confirmed heat-related deaths at 41, with as many as 118 others who were suspected to have died of aliments related to heat. Bihar confirmed 19 such deaths while Rajasthan's toll stood at 16.

MP and Chhattisgarh reported 14 and 15 deaths, respectively, suspected to have been caused by heat, while Jharkhand reported 12 such cases, and Haryana and TN five each.

Meanwhile, a health ministry official explained how the ministry collates data on heat deaths. "The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has laid out guidelines for declaring deaths due to heat-related illnesses. Once the hospital or local authority is satisfied with the same, they upload the data on govt portal," the official said.

"This year, we have seen 51 heat stroke cases and eight deaths since March. It is unprecedented. Last year, we saw only 3-4 heatstroke cases and one death suspected to have been caused by the condition," Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director of Delhi's Lok Nayak hospital told TOI.

According to health ministry data, states/UTs have reported more than 41,000 suspected heatstroke cases this year. MP has reported the maximum 10,672 suspected heatstroke cases, followed by Rajasthan (6,709), Andhra Pradesh (4072) and Jharkhand (3,802). "Labourers who work in the open, car mechanics, sales personnel and elderly people are most susceptible to getting heat stroke and succumbing to it," the Lok Nayak hospital director said.

Recently, the health ministry directed officials to ensure that all hospitals should be prepared to provide the best healthcare to those affected by the heatwave.

(With inputs from New Delhi, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad and Patna)