It Was Not Just Heat..!

Mohammed Younus

It was not just the scorching heat but several other reasons  have resulted in more number of deaths across the state during the recent heat wave, worst in forty years.

The major reasons of the large number of deaths are seem to be higher level of vulnerability shown by few people, lack of proper cooling system at home, lack of precautionary measures, no primary healthcare measures, and weaker response of the village authorities to create awareness and several others.

Though the heat wave has slowly faded out and it is time of Monsoon across the state but it has taken so many lives before government takes any initiative.

Most of the deaths reported from Khammam and Nalgonda districts during the 15 days severe heat wave. A 20 year old boy S Venkat Goud from Narayanpur village of the Nalgonda district, about 80 km from Hyderabad, had died due to the sun stroke after suffering for four days.

Deceased Boy 

His uncle Srikanth, a cotton farmer, said that the deceased did not have the habit of roaming around the streets with friends but used to stay at home. The boy suffered an attack and fell unconscious suddenly on May 21 and after struggling for life he died on May 23. One of his relatives informed that the boy was a diabetic by birth and that made him highly vulnerable and died despite he stayed at home.

Similarly, a three months old baby of a small time vendor from the same village Shaikh Mujahid died on May 26 after suffering a stroke on May 23. Mujahid said that when the baby showed suffocation, a local doctor advised him to take her to the Niloufer Children Hospital in Hyderabad. But while returning from Hyderabad the baby died of stroke.

People in Narayanpur and other villages said that local authorities did not make any effort to save the lives of people and no advisories were given to the people.
The Sarpanch of Narayanpur village E Anjamma however, claimed that she has advised the people to take the precautionary measures, the deaths occurred in her village and nearby localities. She said, “Our village is a drought hit area declared by district authorities and people need to go out for agricultural work.” She said that most of the people have also died even they were at home.

Sarpanch Anjamma 

On the other hand the health officials in the village said that they can provide only a preliminary treatment to the patients coming with the difficulties caused by sun stroke.

A resident health supervisor at the government hospital in Narayanpur village P Laxmi said that when the patients come with conscious they provide first aid to them and in case of unconsciousness they would be sent to the bigger government hospital situated about 15 km away from the village.

In another case a 30 year old lady from Injapur village A Yadamma also died due to the sun stroke. Belonging to a farm laborers family, she used to work in the farms. Her brother A Katamaiah informed that she was mentally unsound but used to work in the field with other family members. She also succumbed to heat wave after suffering for four days.