Bihar is currently experiencing extreme heat, leading to numerous heat-related fatalities in recent days. The Meteorological Department and Disaster Management Department have issued warnings, urging people to take special care of their health. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also directed hospitals to remain on high alert. Temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius have caused people to collapse while walking on the streets or traveling by train. Many patients, suffering from heatstroke, diarrhea, and brain hemorrhages, have been hospitalized due to the intense heat. In response, the government has issued new guidelines to verify deaths caused by heatwaves.
New Guidelines Issued
The new guidelines mandate verbal autopsies by doctors to accurately determine the causes of suspected heatwave deaths. This will help ensure that the bereaved families receive compensation without difficulty. Hospitals will now be required to gather and record detailed information about patients admitted due to heat-related illnesses.
Special Forms Sent to Districts
The Health Department has distributed the “Suspected Heat-Related Illness Death Investigation Form” to all districts. This form requires hospitals to record comprehensive details of patients, including:
– Whether the patient was unconscious or deceased upon arrival.
– The location where the patient lost consciousness.
– The patient’s state, district, block, and village of residence.
– The hospital’s name and address where the patient was brought.
– The exact time and date of death.
Information Collection Prior to Death
Hospitals must now collect clinical history from the 24 hours preceding the death. This includes statements from the patient’s relatives and matching medical records. Key details to be documented include the patient’s skin condition (warm or dry), mental state, body temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure. Additionally, hospitals need to identify where the first symptoms of heatstroke appeared—whether at home, the workplace, a social event, on the road, or at school. This thorough documentation will facilitate the distribution of compensation to affected families.
