Over 7,000 suspected heatstroke cases reported in India this summer
What's the story
India has witnessed a staggering 7,192 suspected cases of heatstroke only and 14 confirmed deaths due to extreme heat between March 1 and June 24 this year. The data was revealed by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, as reported by PTI.
Case distribution
Most cases reported from Andhra Pradesh
The NCDC data shows that Andhra Pradesh alone accounted for over half of these cases. The state reported 4,055 suspected heatstroke cases during the March-June period. Rajasthan followed with 373 cases, while Odisha and Telangana reported 350 and 348 cases, respectively. Madhya Pradesh also contributed to the tally with 297 suspected heatstroke cases during this time frame.
Death toll
Deaths remain unreported despite high number of cases
Despite the high number of suspected cases, several states with hundreds of suspected cases reported no confirmed deaths. Maharashtra and Uttarakhand reported the highest number of confirmed heatstroke deaths at three each.Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal each reported one death during this period.
Criticism
Experts criticize India's surveillance system
The NCDC data is collected under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and relies on hospitals to report cases. However, deaths occurring outside medical facilities or not correctly diagnosed as heat-related often remain uncounted.This has led experts to criticize India's surveillance system for capturing only a fraction of the actual burden of heat-related illnesses and deaths.
Reporting inconsistencies
Fragmented reporting of heat-related illnesses and deaths
A PTI investigation in June revealed that India's reporting of heat-related illnesses and deaths is fragmented, with different agencies presenting widely varying figures. For 2015-2022, the NCDC recorded 3,812 heat-related deaths while the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported a higher number of 8,171. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also recorded a significant number of 3,436 heat-related deaths during this period.
Confirmation hurdles
Confirming heatstroke deaths is difficult, admits official
A senior health ministry official had admitted that confirming heatstroke deaths is inherently difficult.They said, "Surveillance systems capture only a fraction of actual cases. We have some numbers, but never the full picture."The official also noted that many hospitals are understaffed, which hampers the timely and accurate reporting of these cases.
Data suppression
Some states accused of suppressing death figures
Several states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, and West Bengal, have failed to submit complete data to the NCDC in previous years. In some cases, authorities have been accused of suppressing death figures to avoid compensation claims. This further highlights the challenges in accurately reporting and addressing heat-related illnesses and deaths across India.