The state administrations of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have adopted various strategies to acknowledge the deaths brought on by suspected heatstroke as a blistering heatwave sweeps across those two states. In only one district in Uttar Pradesh, at least 70 of these fatalities have occurred, and more than 50 in one area in Bihar.
Authorities in Bihar have recognised heatstroke as the cause of death in many cases, in contrast to the Uttar Pradesh government, which has stated that the fatalities are under investigation and even dismissed a government doctor in Ballia for “giving a careless statement on deaths caused by heatwave.”
In just three days from June 16 to 18, 54 suspected heatwave deaths occurred in Ballia, an area of Uttar Pradesh that borders Bihar. Despite claiming that his wife Rizwana Khatun, 60, passed away on June 17 at the Ballia District Hospital after displaying symptoms of heatstroke, Mohammad Munna has only been given a white slip that makes no mention of the cause of death. Obtaining his wife’s death certificate is currently proving to be difficult.
“I brought my wife into the hospital on June 16, and she passed away at 7 AM the following morning. I received a note from the medical staff asking me to pick up the death certificate five days later. I was instructed to obtain a court-issued document when I visited the hospital on that particular day. They asked me to come on Saturday after I did that, Mr. Munna said.
Sangeeta Devi, 32, is in a comparable predicament following the June 18 death of her 65-year-old mother, who was thought to have suffered from heatstroke. Even though she lived only 8 kilometres from the Ballia District Hospital, she was unable to save her fever-stricken mother. The woman passed away an hour after being admitted to the hospital, and the family also received a slip on a piece of white paper with no indication of the reason for death.
The reason of death is being investigated, according to SK Yadav, chief medical officer of Ballia District Hospital. Only until it is known can we indicate the cause on death certificates.
Authorities claim that there have been no confirmed cases of heatstroke in the Deoria district, although local newspapers have claimed at least 50 suspected heatwave deaths in the past 24 hours.
However, in Bihar, where at least 50 people have passed away in the heatwave-affected Bhojpur district, authorities have acknowledged that heatstroke played a factor in a number of fatalities. Dr. Rishi from the Ara Sadar Hospital stated, “Today (June 20), approximately 25 people who had been admitted with heatstroke had passed away. The majority of the deceased patients were older and showed signs of heatstroke and a high-grade fever.
