BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Centre has made it clear that autopsy is not mandatory in all cases of heat-related deaths as the postmortem findings are nonspecific, the state government continues to insist on the outcome of the autopsy to announce sunstroke deaths.
Over a dozen people have reportedly died in several parts of the state. But the state government has confirmed only two deaths and 367 heatwave-related illnesses so far.
Official sources said Laxmikanta Sahu (62) of Balasore and Nimai Charan Rout (50) of Dhenkanal died of sunstroke on April 23 and 29 respectively. Although at least 14 allegations of sunstroke deaths have been received from 11 districts, those are yet to be confirmed due to lack of postmortem reports.
Other deaths pending for enquiry sans autopsy reports included three from Balangir, two from Mayurbhanj and one each from 10 other districts.
After a study on sunstroke-related deaths last month, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had intimated the states that the diagnosis of heat-related death be based on a history of exposure to high ambient temperature and reasonable exclusion of other causes of hyperthermia (abnormally high body temperature).
Accordingly, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) issued a guideline asking states to establish the diagnosis from the circumstances surrounding the death, investigative reports concerning environmental temperature, and/or measured antemortem body temperature at the time of collapse.
The NCDC has also clarified that if the investigation provides compelling evidence of continuous exposure to a hot environment but fails to identify an independent cause of death, it can be certified as heat-related, with the disease being considered a significant contributing condition, or vice versa as such deaths occur in persons having some preexisting disease known to be exacerbated by heat stress.
But, sources said, the Odisha government has been adhering to the old guideline and seeking autopsy reports to announce sunstroke deaths. Besides, there is also a disparity in compensation.
Except for sunstroke, the amount of ex-gratia for disaster related deaths has been raised from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh since May last year. The Revenue and Disaster Management department, however, pays only Rs 50,000 for sunstroke deaths.