Heatwave Fury: Health Minister Mandaviya Holds Key Meet

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review the country's preparedness as several states continue to reel under intense heatwaves.

Niti Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Dr Rajiv Bahl and India Meteorological Department (IMD) experts will join the meeting that will be held at 11:30 am, they said.

Over the past few days, deaths due to heat stroke have been reported from different parts of the country including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted severe to very severe heatwave conditions in various regions such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Vidarbha, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana among others.

Amid rising temperature, 68 people died in UP's Ballia in five days. In the neighbouring Bihar, 15 districts are in the grip of heat waves.

In two days, 42 deaths have been reported in Bihar, including 35 from two Patna hospitals.

On Monday, Odisha government confirmed the first heat wave related death and sanctioned an ex gratia of Rs 50,000 for the deceased's family.