UP: Two-member probe team finds no direct link between deaths & heatwave

Lucknow: A two-member team dispatched by the Uttar Pradesh government to Ballia to investigate the recent spike in deaths has concluded that the heatwave in the region was not the direct cause of the fatalities. The team, led by UP Health Department Director (Communicable Diseases) Dr AK Singh, found no conclusive evidence to establish a link between the rise in mortality and the ongoing heatwave.

Despite the absence of a direct correlation, the team discovered significant lapses in the micro-level management of patients during their inspection of the district hospital.

The probe was initiated after 68 people reportedly succumbed to pre-existing diseases aggravated by the heat. Dr Singh acknowledged that while the high temperature could have contributed to worsening the patients’ existing ailments, it cannot be considered the sole conclusive factor.

“It can be said that the heatwave was one of the factors, but you can’t say it is conclusive. When considering the number of deaths in a population of 50 lakh, the number of deaths is natural, but their accumulation in one place is concerning... Not a single death due to heatstroke has been confirmed in the area. There was no panic, and no deaths of animals were reported in the villages,” Singh said. In Ballia, 10 deaths per day is normal. When asked why more than 60 people died in the course of four days, he said: “Most of the patients who were at the hospital and died were already suffering from other diseases like tuberculosis. Among the deceased, there were people with kidney and heart diseases. The speed of infection might occasionally speed up as the temperature rises or falls.

The official said: “To verify the truth, we are doing the necessary testing. We have sent samples, including samples of water, for testing, and the results are awaiting.”

During their visit to the hospital, the investigative team observed that the emergency ward was following a “queue system” instead of the mandated “Triage” protocol. Senior health officials familiar with the matter highlighted that the Triage protocol prioritises the most critical patients for immediate attention, which seemed to be poorly implemented at the hospital. Furthermore, the team members raised concerns about frequent power cuts in Ballia. Singh said: “The power supply in rural pockets of the district was disrupted, and transformers were burnt out. The condition of the people worsened by the time they reached the hospital due to the non-availability of electricity, among other factors. The travel time required to reach another district hospital is also a factor that worsens the condition of patients.”

The team discovered that the Total Leukocyte Count (TLC) in the blood samples of 18 patients was high, indicating the presence of illness.

However, this was attributed to pre-existing conditions mentioned in their medical history rather than heatstroke.