New Delhi: India recorded 67,637 suspected heat stroke cases and 374 confirmed heat stroke deaths between March and 25 July this year, the Union health ministry informed Parliament Friday.
West Bengal registered the highest number of 102 heat stroke deaths, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which recorded 52 and 37 respectively.
The data was shared as part of the national heat-related illnesses and deaths surveillance of the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH).
Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of suspected heat stroke cases at 12,765, while in Rajasthan this number stood at 7,587, closely followed by Jharkhand where the administration recorded 7,585 cases.
In the national capital, the number of heat stroke cases was 539 and confirmed deaths stood at 25, the government told the Lok Sabha in response to an unstarred query by Congress MP Manickam Tagore.
Officials in the health ministry said the highest number of cases and deaths had been registered between 20 May and 20 June.
Various northeastern as well as hilly states such as Himachal Pradesh and Manipur, too, recorded heat stroke cases and deaths, statistics showed. There was no state or UT in the country untouched by this malaise.
In the south, Tamil Nadu at 15 recorded the maximum heat stroke deaths.
Also read: Delhi’s animals dying of heat stress, thirst—dogs bleeding through their noses, cats panting
Much of the north and eastern India experienced a particularly brutal summer this year with maximum temperature soaring upwards of 40 degrees Celsius since mid-May, and reaching nearly 50 degrees Celsius on some days.
For several days in June, the night time temperatures had also been very high. This led to an alarmingly high number of heatwave patients, mostly labourers and street vendors, landing up in hospitals. Many of them succumbed to the illness.
The ministry also informed the House that all states and Union Territories were submitting data on heat stroke cases and deaths on its Integrated Health Information Portal since 2023.
As part of preparatory measures, the government had asked public health facilities across states to set up “heat clinics” in March this year.
These special wings were supposed to be responsible for procurement and supply of adequate quantities of ORS packs, essential medicines, IV fluids, ice packs, and other equipment.
The hospitals had also been asked to identify active cooling strategies that could be used at health facilities based on resources available, develop internal protocols, train health care staff and identify and procure resources for ambulances to ensure emergency, rapid cooling of affected patients, according to the guidelines.
The NPCCHH, which works with an aim to strengthen India’s health sector response to climate impacts, was established in 2019 under the Prime Minister Mission on Health.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)