Amid unrelenting heat wave, 50 bodies recovered in Delhi; sharp rise heatstroke cases
New Delhi (PTI): The bodies of 50 people belonging to underprivileged socioeconomic backgrounds were recovered around Delhi during the past 48 hours, police said, as the searing heat wave sweeping the city has caused a spike in casualties and heatstroke cases.
Police and health officials, however, have not confirmed if all of them died of heat-related causes.
A senior police officer said the body of a 55-year-old man was found at the children's park near India Gate on Wednesday and added that a post-mortem will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.
The Centre for Holistic Development, an NGO working for the homeless, claimed that 192 homeless deaths were recorded in Delhi due to the heat wave from June 11 to 19.
In the national capital, hospitals reported a spike in cases of heatstroke and heat exhaustion and several deaths in the past two days.
The city recorded a maximum temperature of 43.6 degrees Celsius, over four notches above the normal. The night temperature in Delhi was 35.2 degrees Celsius, the city's highest in June since 1969, the Met office said on Wednesday.
The Centre-run RML Hospital received 22 patients in the last two days. There have been five deaths and 12 to 13 patients are on ventilator support.
"The victims did not have any comorbidities. When such people come to the hospital, their core body temperature is recorded and, if it is found more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit and there is no other cause, they are declared as heatstroke patients," a senior hospital official said.
"Those who succumb to heatstroke are declared as 'suspected heatstroke'. There is a committee of the Delhi government that later confirms the deaths," the official said.
To ensure immediate cooling of the body, the hospital has set up a first-of-its-kind heatstroke unit.
"The unit has cooling technology and the patients are kept in baths filled with ice and water. When their body temperature goes below 102 degrees Fahrenheit, they are monitored," the official said.
"If they are stable, they are shifted into the ward. Otherwise, they are put on a ventilator. Most of the patients who are admitted are labourers," he added.
The Safdarjung Hospital received 60 patients with suspected heatstroke, including 42 who were admitted. The hospital has reported six casualties, including a 60-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man.
At LNJP Hospital, four patients have died due to suspected heatstroke in the last two days.
"There were two deaths on Tuesday due to suspected heatstroke and two more on Wednesday. There are 16 heatstroke patients who have been admitted," said a hospital official.
One of the victims, aged around 39, died during treatment on June 15. He was a motor mechanic who collapsed while working at his shop in Janakpuri. He was brought in with high-grade fever.
Speaking on heatstroke symptoms, a senior hospital official said patients sometimes collapse due to dehydration.
They also suffer from very high fever, which causes the body temperature to reach 106 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit, he added.
The Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi is reporting 30 to 35 heatstroke cases at its outpatient department daily.
"These include conditions such as heat cramp and heat exhaustion," said Dr Atul Kakar, chairperson of the hospital's Department of Internal Medicine.
"This surge in cases highlights the importance of public awareness about heat safety measures, including staying hydrated, seeking shade during peak sun hours and understanding the signs of heat-related distress. Healthcare providers are on alert, ensuring prompt and effective treatment to manage and mitigate the impact of rising temperatures on public health," he added.
The heat wave is causing an increase in the prevalence of lupus that affects the skin, joints and kidneys, among other organs. People who have lupus frequently experience flare-ups and aggravated symptoms as the temperature rises.
Six to 10 cases of lupus were detected due to the prolonged heat wave. SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) or lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body's own system is targeted, leading to multiple-organ affection and damage. It primarily affects women and that too in their child-bearing age between 15 and 45, said Dr Lalit Duggal, a senior consultant of rheumatology and clinical immunology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
Meanwhile, police said they are getting calls regarding unnatural deaths of security guards, beggars or underprivileged people.
"The actual reason behind the deaths can only be known after post-mortem. But no doubt we are getting calls regarding deaths from all the districts of Delhi," the senior police officer said.
"So far, we got to know that around 50 people died in different parts of Delhi. We have launched an investigation into the matter and our teams shifted the bodies to different hospitals for autopsy. The reports are awaited," he added.
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Modi says 'don't go abroad,' but flies off on trips himself: Mann's jibe at PM
Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his appeal to people to postpone foreign travels when he himself did not stop going abroad.
Modi on Sunday in his address to the nation called for judicious use of fuel, postponing gold purchases and foreign travel due to the West Asia crisis. He urged the people to use the metro, carpooling, increased use of electric vehicles and working from home to conserve foreign exchange.
Speaking to reporters here, Mann said, "First, the prime minister should stop his foreign visits. Where is he now? He has gone to the Netherlands. He will visit 3-4 more countries. He has asked people to avoid but he still went (on foreign visits). You are shutting down everything... do not buy gold, do not undertake foreign visits, work from home."
He asked, "Why doesn't the PM work from home?"
The Punjab chief minister also took on the BJP-led Centre for increasing prices of petrol and diesel.
"We were to become 'vishwaguru' but we have become 'vishwachele'. The war is happening somewhere else but restrictions are being imposed here. Why has no other country implemented it (restrictions)?" he asked.
Mann said people across the country are struggling with inflation, rising transport costs and increasing household expenditure, but instead of providing relief, the Centre is asking citizens to reduce personal spending.
"Thankfully, the PM only advised people to save money and didn't ask them to beat 'thalis' and clap again," he said in a dig.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader asserted that instead of symbolic gestures and lectures, people expect practical steps to control inflation and reduce the financial burden on households, farmers and small businesses.
Petrol and diesel prices were hiked by Rs 3 per litre each on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses to fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices.
Modi has reduced the size of his convoy, prompting several BJP chief ministers and other leaders to adopt similar measures.
The prime minister is on a six-day tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy to discuss bilateral ties.
Meanwhile, on the Bhakra water-sharing issue, Mann asserted that Punjab will preserve its water rights at every cost. He said Haryana would receive water strictly according to its legally scheduled quota and not before the stipulated timeline.
"Punjab will not compromise on its water rights under any pressure," he said. The chief minister said water is an emotional, economic and agricultural lifeline for Punjab and his government is fully committed to protecting every drop.
Punjab has no spare water to share with any other state, he said.
To a question on the upcoming local body polls, Mann said his party will be victorious.
Mann praised his government's work on the job and infrastructure front, and attacked Shiromani Akali Dal, claiming that the party steadily lost both public support and credibility due to years of political decline and disconnect from people's aspirations.
Akalis no longer command the trust they once enjoyed among Punjabis, he said.
