Power cuts among factors responsible for worsening condition of patients: UP officials
Ballia deaths
Ballia (UP), Jun 21: Amid the rise in deaths at the Ballia district hospital, an Uttar Pradesh health department official flagged power cuts among the factors responsible for the worsening condition of the patients before they were brought there.
Dr A K Singh, one of the members of the committee sent to the district to ascertain the cause of deaths, also said the deaths at the hospital were primarily due to condition related with old age and not due to any heatstroke.
"Power supply in rural pockets of the district was disrupted. Transformers were burnt out. The condition of the people worsened due to non-availability of electricity and other factors.
"Along with this, they took five to six hours to reach the district hospital for treatment, due to which several patients died within an hour after being admitted to the district hospital," the director (communicable diseases) told reporters here.
Meanwhile, with eight more deaths in the last 48 hours, the death toll at the hospital has reached 76 in seven days, officials said.
"Five patients admitted at the hospital died due to various illnesses on June 19 while three others succumbed on June 20. The deceased were suffering from heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure and other chronic illnesses," Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the district hospital Dr SK Yadav said.
The deaths come amid the heatwave conditions in the district.
Yadav said that necessary arrangements have been made to take care of patients at the hospital. There are sufficient air conditioners, fans and air coolers in the hospital wards, he added.
The health department's two-member committee comprising Singh and Director (Medical Care) K N Tiwari said that they are waiting for the reports of blood samples sent for examination.
"We are now waiting for the test reports of blood samples as well as that of groundwater and hand pump water. The reports will be received on Thursday, following which an investigation report will be submitted," Singh said.
According to the officials, most of the patients who died were from Bansdih and Gadwar blocks of the district.
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Ranchi: Temple guard bludgeoned to death during robbery attempt, 3 held
Ranchi (PTI): A 60-year-old security guard of a temple in Ranchi was bludgeoned to death with a stone during a robbery attempt, police said on Saturday.
The incident happened late on Thursday at the Jagannath Temple in the Dhurwa Smart City area, they said.
"Three persons were arrested on Friday for killing the security guard. They confessed to the crime and told police that the victim had identified them. Therefore, in fear of being caught, they killed him by attacking him with a stone on his head," SSP Rakesh Ranjan said.
"Thereafter, they took money from the donation box and fled the scene. Two of them have criminal antecedents," he added.
Ranjan said the investigators recovered Rs 3 lakh in cash that had been robbed, the stone with blood-stained marks, and the iron rod used to break open the lock of the donation box kept there.
An FIR in this regard was lodged at the Dhurwa police station, he said, adding that the accused were sent to judicial custody by a court.
