New Delhi: As many as 57 people admitted at the Ballia district hospital in Uttar Pradesh died in the last four days amidst heatwave-like conditions in the region. The government, however, has claimed that the deaths are not heatwave-related and removed an official who had claimed otherwise earlier.
The news agency PTI has quoted Ballia Chief Medical Officer Dr Jayant Kumar as having said that out of 54 deaths (the toll when Kumar spoke), “40% of the patients had fever, while 60% were suffering from other diseases.”
“So far, only two persons have died due to heat stroke in the district,” the CMO told PTI.
Local outlets, including the newspaper Amar Ujala, have placed the toll at much higher. Amar Ujala reported on June 17 that 74 people had died in the district in the last three days.
A two-member committee comprising director (communicable diseases) Dr A.K. Singh and director (medical care) K.N. Tiwari, which on inspected the hospital on June 18, also ruled out heat as the cause.
“In most cases, deaths occurred between two and six hours of admission. Our medical staff couldn’t get enough time to stabilise the patients or to get the necessary medical tests done,” Singh told the news agency.
CMS removed
Chief Medical Superintendent or CMS of the district hospital, Dr Divakar Singh, has been removed from his position and deployed at Azamgarh over his remark on June 16 noting that “over 20 patients at the hospital died due to heat.”
The new CMS, Dr. S.K. Yadav, said that 125 to 135 patients were being admitted to the hospital on a daily basis. All the patients who passed away there were above 60 years of age, he told PTI.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also has the health portfolio, said, “The superintendent’s removal has been done since he had made a careless remark without having information about the heatwave.”
Akhilesh hits out
Samajwadi Party chief and opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav has criticised the Adityanath government over the handling of the matter.
“Thirty-six deaths in 24 hours in Ballia district hospital due to heat and heat stroke is an unfortunate and shameful incident. In Ballia, 121 patients have died in eight days. The poor are not getting treatment in hospitals,” Yadav said, also according to PTI.
“The BJP government is neither able to provide electricity to the public nor it is able to provide treatment to them,” he alleged
Odisha confirms one heatwave death
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has confirmed the first heatwave-related death of the season in Balasore district. A government official has said that the government has received information on 20 alleged heatwave deaths, which are being investigated.
Rs 50,000 will be paid to the deceased’s family, the Odisha Special Relief Commissioner’s office said.