Uttar Pradesh: No "concrete" evidence to link deaths in Ballia to ongoing heatwave, say officials

Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 18 : District magistrate of Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district on Sunday said that there is no "concrete evidence" to link the high number of deaths reported at the district hospital with the ongoing heatwave in the State.

"On social media, deaths are being reported at the Ballia district hospital. Full details of the deaths will be made available after a detailed investigation. So far, no concrete evidence has been found linking the deaths to heatwave," District Magistrate,Ballia, Ravindra Kumar said.

"...the Chief Medical Superintendant of the district hospital was removed from his post as he gave a false statement," the District Magistrate said.

Hospital authorities in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh on Sunday said a committe from health department in Lucknow is investigating cases of deaths in Ballia district.

According to estimates, around 60 people have died in Uttar Pradesh over the last four days due to heatwave with Balia recording the maximum number of deaths.

Speaking with ANI, Dr BP Tiwari, Additional Health Director, Azamgarh Circle said it is not confirmed yet as to what was the exact cause of the deaths.

"Deaths of people above 60 years are increasing and the cause of the deaths has not yet been confirmed. A team from Lucknow will come tomorrow to investigate. One theroy is that during excessive heat or extreme cold, the figures of deaths of patients with respiratory and other diseases are likely to increase".

SK Yadav, in-charge Medical Superintendent, District Hospital, Ballia confirmed that 23 people died due to various reasons on Saturday.

"On June 15, as per records, 154 people were admitted. On this day (Saturday), 23 people died due to various reasons. As of June 17, 11 people have died as per records. There are many different causes of death in this, especially for people with chronic medical conditions," he said..

"There is also a possibility of heatstroke...," Yadav said.

Speaking to reporters after an inspection at the Ballia district hospital, Dr A K Singh Health Director Lucknow said, "Most of the patients who died were from two blocks of the district. The team will go for inspection in both these blocks. Most of these patients came with complaints of chest pain, difficulty in breathing and fever. We are conducting tests of their urine and blood as well as other tests.

"We do not confirm the reports of people falling ill and dying due to heatwave. Had it been true, similar deaths would have also been reported from other districts which have been recording similar day temperatures in the past few days. No such complaint has come from there," Dr Singh, Health Director Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh said.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the Uttar Pradesh government of "negligence".

"Deaths have been reported from Ballia, from other parts of the state. It is due to the government's negligence. Government should have arranged for medical treatment for such people. Government should have alerted people in anticipation of a heatwave in the state," Yadav alleged.

"This government has not built a single District hospital. Has BJP built one? Where the poor could have received the treatment," the former chief minister said, adding that people have died on a large scale due to the "negligence" of the government.