The persistent heatwave spreading across significant portions of the country has claimed at least 110 lives and left over 40,000 people grappling with suspected heatstroke between March 1 and June 18 this year, official sources said on Thursday.
Based on data obtained as part of the National Centre for Disease Control’s (NCDC) National Heat-Related Illness and Death Surveillance, Uttar Pradesh is the most impacted, with 36 deaths, followed by Bihar, Rajasthan, and Odisha.
“The data visible may not be final submissions from states. So the numbers are expected to be higher than this,” an official source said.
Six people died from heatstroke on June 18 alone, according to the data. Regions of northern and eastern India have been in the clutches of an ongoing heat wave, leading to stroke casualties and forcing the Centre to issue an advisory to hospitals to establish special units to cater to such patients.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Wednesday directed that special heatwave units should be built in all central government hospitals to provide treatment to those falling ill due to the heat.
Nadda assessed the current situation across the country and hospital readiness to address it and instructed authorities to make sure all hospitals are ready to offer the finest medical treatment to those impacted.
The Union Health Minister has ordered the health ministry to send a notification to the State Health Department on “Heat Wave Season 2024.”
“The country may observe above-normal seasonal maximum temperatures in-line with the observed trend of summertime temperatures. To reduce the health impacts of extreme heat, health departments must ensure preparedness and timely response,” the ministry said.
Also Read: Bengaluru: Former Indian Cricketer David Johnson Passes Away at 52
