Rourkela: With heatwave gripping the state, suspected sunstroke death toll in Odisha’s Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) rose to 12 by Thursday midnight.
Sources said that 33 others are still undergoing treatment at different hospitals in the city and 7 are under critical observation.
“23 patients are undergoing treatment at RGH and their condition is stable while 10 have been referred to a high-tech hospital. While 8 were received dead yesterday, two others died by evening and another two later in the night. Apart from the heat unit, we have opened other wards. There are other spare units in case there is high patient load in future. These are air-conditioned units, and senior doctors have been deployed. We are prepared,” Additional District Magistrate, Ashutosh Kulkarni, told the media.
Steps are being taken to conduct their autopsy in the presence of police, he added.
He also advised people of the city to stay indoors since heatwave will continue to prevail for one more day. “We will strictly enforce the restrictions on the engagement of labourers and workmen during peak summer hours from 11 am to 3 pm,” he added.
The 10 deaths at RGH were reported within six and a half hours starting from 1 pm on Thursday. Eight persons were received dead, while two others died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. The temperature of two patients before death was very high which suggested they might have suffered heatstroke. “It has not been established that they have died of heatstroke. Most of them were received dead in the hospital. It is be difficult to confirm if the deaths were due to heat-related illness since we don’t have their history,” said Superintendent of the RGH, Sudharani Pradhan.
The exact cause of death will be known after postmortem, the official added.
Almost all the victims belonged to Chhend Colony, Railway Colony, Jhartarang and a few other areas of Rourkela city along with nearby areas like Jalda and Hathibari. One of them is said to be from Jharkhand.
The special relief commissioner’s office said the Sundargarh collector has been asked to investigate the cause behind the deaths.
A total of 16 such deaths have been reported from Sundargarh district so far, while eight persons have reportedly died of suspected heat-related illness in Sambalpur, the sources added.
With heatwave gripping the state, Jharsuguda witnessed the season’s highest temperature at 47 degrees Celsius, becoming the hottest place in the state, while the mercury soared past 45 degrees Celsius at nine weather stations on Thursday. Rourkela had recorded 44.9 degree Celsius and Sambalpur 46.2 degree Celsius.
Heatwave conditions prevailed in Jharsuguda, Balangir, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Malkangiri, Sundargarh, Nuapada and Kandhamal districts.
