143 heatstroke deaths in India this year: Health ministry

The Union health ministry said 143 people across India had died of heat stroke this summer, based on data of confirmed deaths collated by it from states till June 20.
The figure, however, is lower than the numbers gathered by a newspaper from official sources in various state govts, as per which there have been 209 confirmed heat-related fatalities so far this season, apart from 239 suspected deaths due to heat, taking the total number of confirmed and suspected mortalities to 448.
Health ministry said UP recorded the maximum 35 such deaths, followed by Delhi (21). Rajasthan and Odisha recorded 17 deaths each.
 
Heat stroke is a condition characterised by overheating of the body because of prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in high temperatures. Ministry sources said the death figure may go up further as some deaths suspected to be caused by heat stroke are currently under investigation.
As per data collated by the newspaper, Delhi has so far recorded 76 heat-related deaths, the highest confirmed toll in the country. These numbers have been gathered from authorities in various govt hospitals in the capital. UP’s Relief Commissioner Office has recorded 51 confirmed heat-related deaths while at least 65 more people were suspected to have died due to ailments related to severe heat, including 51 in Ghaziabad district and 14 in Noida district.
Odisha reported the third highest number of confirmed heat-related deaths at 41, with as many as 118 others who were suspected to have died of ailments related to heat. Bihar confirmed 19 such deaths while Rajasthan’s toll stood at 16.
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh reported 14 and 15 deaths, respectively, suspected to have been caused by heat, while Jharkhand reported 12 such cases, and Haryana and Tamil Nadu five each.
Meanwhile, a health ministry official explained how the ministry collates data on heat deaths. “The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has laid out guidelines for declaring deaths due to heat-related illnesses. Once the hospital or local authority is satisfied with the same, they upload the data on govt portal,” the official said.
The NCDC says a death in which exposure to high ambient temperature either caused death or significantly contributed to it can be termed as a heat-related death.