Delhi hospitals have reported that at least 53 people have died due to the severe heatwave that has gripped the city. Public hospitals and the state government confirmed these deaths since April. Even though the temperatures dropped slightly due to winds the previous night, the heatwave remains a serious concern.
Rising Death Toll
Two major hospitals, Safdarjung and Ram Manohar Lohia (RML), confirmed additional deaths due to heat stress. Safdarjung reported 15 new deaths, and RML confirmed 11 more deaths. This is in addition to the six and seven deaths previously reported by these hospitals.
On Thursday, Delhi’s Health Minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj, announced that 14 people had died in the past 48 hours because of the heat. However, he did not confirm the status of 40 suspected heat-related deaths reported by Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital between June 11 and June 18.
Unreported Deaths
The real number of heat-related deaths may be much higher. Some deaths are not reported, and it’s often difficult to directly link a death to high temperatures without thorough investigation.
Drop in Temperature
The city experienced some relief when an approaching western disturbance caused temperatures to drop. The maximum temperature fell from 43.6°C on Wednesday to 40°C on Thursday. Additionally, the minimum temperature decreased from a 55-year record of 35.2°C to 29.6°C.
Hospital’s doing
Hospitals are struggling to cope with the influx of patients suffering from heat-related illnesses. Safdarjung Hospital admitted 33 new patients with severe heat-related conditions, and RML Hospital received 26 new patients between Wednesday and Thursday.
To manage the increasing number of patients, Safdarjung Hospital added 10 ventilator beds to its heatstroke ward, bringing the total to 23 beds. RML Hospital also opened its eight-bedded disaster ward to accommodate heatstroke patients.
Health Official Statements
Dr. Ajay Shukla, the medical superintendent at RML Hospital, said, “The rush of patients is huge. Heatstroke patients are crowding the emergency room, especially in the afternoon. Our teams are working around the clock to manage the situation.”
An unnamed official at Safdarjung Hospital noted that the hospital has increased the number of beds significantly due to the surge in patients. “We received 33 new patients with severe heat-related illnesses in the past 24 hours,” he said.
Government Response
During a press briefing, Health Minister Bharadwaj confirmed the deaths and provided an update on the number of heatstroke patients in government hospitals. “Around 310 heatstroke patients were admitted to Delhi government hospitals in the last 48 hours. Of these, 112 have recovered, and 118 are still in the hospital. A total of 14 people have died,” he stated. He also mentioned that most of the deceased had preexisting conditions like cancer or kidney disease, which worsened their condition in the heat.
Regarding the 40 suspected heat-related deaths at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Bharadwaj said, “The hospital has received several unclaimed bodies from the police. We have ordered postmortem examinations to determine the exact cause of death.”
