BALLIA: Amid the rise in deaths at the Ballia district hospital, an Uttar Pradesh health department official flagged power cuts among the factors responsible for the worsening condition of the patients before they were brought there.
Dr A K Singh, one of the members of the committee sent to the district to ascertain the cause of death, also said the deaths at the hospital were primarily due to conditions related to old age and not due to any heatstroke.
"The power supply in rural pockets of the district was disrupted. Transformers were burnt out. The condition of the people worsened due to the non-availability of electricity and other factors.
Along with this, they took five to six hours to reach the district hospital for treatment, due to which several patients died within an hour after being admitted to the district hospital," the director (of communicable diseases) told reporters here.
Meanwhile, with eight more deaths in the last 48 hours, the death toll at the hospital has reached 76 in seven days, officials said.
"Five patients admitted at the hospital died due to various illnesses on June 19 while three others succumbed on June 20.
The deceased were suffering from heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure and other chronic illnesses," the Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the district hospital Dr SK Yadav said.
The deaths come amid the heatwave conditions in the district.
Yadav said that necessary arrangements have been made to take care of patients at the hospital.
There are sufficient air conditioners, fans and air coolers in the hospital wards, he added.
The health department's two-member committee comprising Singh and Director (Medical Care) K N Tiwari said that they are waiting for the reports of blood samples sent for examination.
"We are now waiting for the test reports of blood samples as well as that of groundwater and hand pump water. The reports will be received on Thursday, following which an investigation report will be submitted," Singh said.
According to the officials, most of the patients who died were from the Bansdih and Gadwar blocks of the district.