Delhi has reported at least 45 fatalities resulting from suspected heat-related illnesses at Ram Manohar Lohia, Safdarjung, and LNJP hospitals, as per officials on Thursday.
In the past few days, Delhi has been contending with intense heatwave conditions but received some relief on Thursday morning from light rain. Hospitals in the city have witnessed an increase in both casualties and patients due to heat stroke.
Dr Ajay Chauhan, a Medicine Professor at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, reported that the Centre-run hospital had 47 cases of heatstroke between May 27 and 9 am on June 19. In the subsequent 24 hours, 26 heatstroke patients were admitted to the hospital.
He also mentioned that the hospital recorded 11 suspected heatstroke-related deaths between May 27 and 9 am on June 19, with seven more suspected deaths reported in the following 24 hours.
Currently, RML hospitals are treating 32 patients with heat-related illnesses, with 26 of them in critical condition or on ventilators.
According to hospital authorities, Safdarjung Hospital, another government-run facility in Delhi, has reported 24 deaths since the start of the persistent heatwave.
Between 8 am and 8 pm on Thursday, the hospital admitted six new patients and reported two deaths. The hospital has a total of 47 patients with heat-related illnesses, with 29 in critical condition, as confirmed by the authorities.
Since June 16, there have been 62 admissions due to heat-related illnesses, and the death toll currently stands at 24, as reported by the hospital authorities.
LNJP Hospital, run by the Delhi government, has 17 patients admitted to its casualty ward, and five patients passed away within the last 24 hours, according to an official source.
The hospital authorities reported that between June 15 and June 19, five patients had passed away due to suspected heatstroke.
At the main crematorium in the city, Nigambodh Ghat, there has been a surge in the number of cremations. However, officials were unable to confirm if the deaths were heatstroke-related.
On Wednesday, 142 bodies were brought to the Nigambodh Ghat for cremation, marking an increase of nearly 136 percentage points compared to the daily average of 50 to 60 bodies, according to Suman Gupta, the general secretary of the Nigambodh Ghat Sanchalan Samiti, which oversees operations at the crematorium, as reported by PTI.
The number of cremations was also elevated on Tuesday, with 97 bodies being cremated at the city's oldest and largest crematorium.
"Usually, around 50-60 bodies are brought in here daily for cremation. The number has been higher in the last few days. Today, 35 cremations have taken place since morning, and the number may go up by the end of the day," Gupta said on Thursday.
Follow us
