As Odisha is reeling under a severe heat wave, cases of sunstroke & heat-related illness have been reported from 16 districts and as many as 89 people are affected to date. This was stated by the Director of Public Health, Odisha, Dr Niranjan Mishra on Monday.
Mishra said, "We have reports of about 89 cases from 16 districts pertaining to sunstroke and heat-related illness. The patients are being treated at different hospitals. Sundargarh has so far reported the highest number of cases at 41.”
He added that a dozen people from Khordha were affected while seven of them were admitted to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar.
“Angul has reported nine cases; Mayurbhanj and Jharsuguda seven each while five people were hospitalized in Sambalpur,” he said.
Mishra informed that one person has died of sunstroke.
There are allegations about more number of deaths due to heat stroke, but the Health Department has not confirmed the said cases.
“In such cases, post-mortem reports, joint reports and sometimes verbal autopsy reports are required to confirm the allegations/claims of sunstroke deaths. People also die of diseases or other reasons,” he said.