With temperatures soaring across Telangana since March and intensifying sharply over the last two weeks of April, multiple districts have reported suspected cases of heatstroke or sunstroke, with Health department officials maintaining that no deaths have been recorded so far.
A telephonic survey of District Medical and Health Officers (DMHOs) across all 33 districts by The Hindu found that a total of 22 suspected cases have been recorded since the beginning of April. Among the districts reporting these cases, Hanumakonda and Mancherial reported five cases each, while Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar and Peddapalli logged three cases each.
Heatstroke or sunstroke is a condition in which the body’s temperature rises to 40°C or higher due to prolonged exposure to high heat or physical exertion in hot conditions.
Officials clarified that these are being categorised as suspected cases as patients presented with symptoms such as loose motions, vomiting, dry skin and headaches, which could also be linked to other underlying health conditions. “These symptoms may arise from comorbidities as well, making it difficult to conclusively determine whether it is heatstroke,” a DMHO said, adding that confirmation in case of fatalities would depend on post-mortem examination findings.
