11 Die of Heat Stroke At Maharashtra Bhushan Award Function
Eleven people died of sunstroke while many others were said to be critical, after attending the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony held at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai
The government of Maharashtra has awarded Dr. Appasaheb Dharmadhikari with the Maharashtra Bhushan award. It is the highest state award presented. On 16th April, Home minister Amit Shah came to the event to give the award. The event was held in Navi Mumbai, near Mumbai where the temperature reached 38 degrees Celsius. Thousands of the Dharmadhikari’s supporters attended the event at a large ground in Navi Mumbai. Lakhs of people were in the crowd and they sat in the open under the sun for over five hours from 8 to 1. However, there was no cover over the audience seating arrangement. The event turned tragic as nearly 50 people were admitted to the hospital as they suffered from the heat. Out of these, at least 11 people died due to sunstroke. Some people have been discharged from the hospital and others are still under treatment. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said, "Lakhs of people had come for the event and it went well. It is painful to see some of them suffer. It is a very unfortunate situation which is very painful for me. I don’t want to politicize this. I want to help those needing treatment. Shinde said the family of the dead will be given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh. Medical treatment of the people under treatment due to sunstroke will be free. The state will pay for their treatment. The Chief Minister also asked the officials to shift patients to specialized hospitals if they needed additional treatment. Some people were provided with ORS powder to help with dehydration and were asked to sit under shade or in an AC facility area.
Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Aditya Thackeray, and NCP leader Ajit Pawar visited the hospital in the night and reviewed the situation. Speaking to the media, Uddhav Thackeray blamed that the event was not planned properly. “We have met the people who are undergoing treatment, interacted with 4-5, two among them are in critical condition. The event was not planned properly. Who will investigate this incident?” he asked. The cultural affairs ministry, which organized the event, said arrangements were made for a crowd of 20 lakh, but a lot of people were in doubt. They said that the deaths were caused due to government’s mismanagement. This is not the first incident to happen in India. Due to the rise in temperatures, 4 people died in Telangana within one week of heat stroke. 2 people died in Gujarat of a heatstroke. Temperatures are going to rise in the upcoming months. So if you know you are going to be outdoors, take proper precautions. Or avoid going to such events because your health comes first.
