The police have reported the discovery of the bodies of 50 individuals from low-income backgrounds in the vicinity of Delhi over the last 48 hours. This comes as the city is experiencing an intense heat wave, leading to a surge in fatalities and cases of heatstroke.
It is yet to be confirmed by police and health authorities whether all of these deaths were caused by the heat.
A high-ranking police official stated that the body of a 55-year-old man was found at the children's park near India Gate on Wednesday and mentioned that an autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of death.
The Centre for Holistic Development reported that 192 homeless individuals in Delhi died due to the heat wave from June 11 to 19.
Hospitals in the national capital saw an increase in heatstroke and heat exhaustion cases, along with multiple deaths in the last 48 hours.
Delhi's peak temperature was 43.6 degrees Celsius, more than four degrees higher than normal. According to the Met Office, the night temperature reached 35.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the highest in June since 1969.
The hospital under the administration of the Centre, RML Hospital, has received 22 admissions in the past 48 hours. There have been reports of five fatalities, and currently, 12 to 13 patients are receiving 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 body cooling, 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 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. 16 heatstroke patients have been admitted," said a hospital official.
The heat wave is increasing the prevalence of lupus, which affects the skin, joints, and kidneys, among other organs. People with 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.
Follow us
