UP: Ballia heatwave toll now 68, health team collects samples

LUCKNOW: As many as 14 more patients admitted at Ballia district hospital died due to heat related ailments in the last 24 hours taking the death toll to 68 since June 15 even as the committee appointed by the state government visited villages in Bansdih and Garwar development blocks where maximum casualties were reported.
Led by Dr KN Tewari (director medical care) and Dr AK Singh (director infectious diseases), the team met the family members of some of the deceased to study if a specific pattern may be spotted and claimed that they did not come across any sign of panic.
Later talking to reporters, Singh said: “We spoke to some families and realised that they were unwell for a long time… One of them had TB. But what remains undeniable is the high heat and humidity levels in the villages.” Singh said he came across many people who were not wearing full clothes in the name of unbearable summer.
“People think that this is the way to beat the heat without realising that they are inviting trouble,” he said adding that wearing layers of clothes in summers helps in trapping the hot air and cooling its intensity whereas staying without clothes would aid exposure.
He also said there were power outages in the villages which added to the woes of the people. Citing the example of one such village Parbatpur, he said: “Locals claimed that a transformer snag had left more than half of the village without power for over two weeks now. The district officials have been apprised to initiate relief measures.”
Singh also said several blood samples of patients who were under treatment was collected and sent for test to check any other disease. Asked to comment on the reasons of deaths at Ballia district hospital (DH), Singh said: “The DH is the highest referral centre… the burden of patients is high so the number of deaths also proportionate.”
Ballia has a population of about 35 lakh and to cater the health needs of these people a network of three primary and 17 community health centres is available. However, the shortage of doctors cannot be denied. Chief medical superintendent, district hospital in Ballia, Dr SK Yadav, said: “Our set up has 278 beds with adequate facilities and specialists to attend the needs of all patients.”
Dr Singh said additional air coolers have been put up in the wards of the district hospital where some patients had complained of facing unbearable heat. Besides, additional nurses and pharmacists have been deployed to ensure continuity of treatment. Instructions for awareness drives were also given.