A two-member team set up by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the sudden spike in deaths in Ballia has found no conclusive evidence to establish a link between the rise in mortality and the ongoing heatwave.
The team, led by Director (Communicable Diseases) Dr AK Singh, concluded that the heatwave in the region was not the “direct” cause of the fatalities. But the team discovered 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 heat.
Dr Singh acknowledged that while the high temperature could have contributed to worsening the patients’ existing ailments, it could not be considered the sole conclusive factor.
Dr Singh said: “In our primary investigation we can conclude that the heatwave was one of the factors, but it is not conclusive. Considering 70 plus deaths in four or five days in a population of 50 lakh is natural, but the deaths being reported from two blocks of Bansdih and Girdih is a cause of concern.”
He further said: “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.”
In Ballia, 10 deaths per day are 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 may 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 awaited.”
During their visit to the hospital, the team investigating the deaths observed that the emergency ward was following a ‘queue system’ instead of the mandated ‘triage’ protocol. Senior health officials familiar with the matter say 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. Dr 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. The blood samples tested negative for any viral load.
Regarding the final report, a team member stated that it would be completed once the results of the water samples taken from the affected areas and the blood samples of the hospitalised patients were received.