New Delhi, June 18 : 54 people have died and around 400 hospitalised in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia District Hospital in the last three days amid soaring temperatures. Doctors have said that though there are different reasons for the deaths, severe heat could be a factor. Hospitalisations are rising because of severe heat, they said. A severe heatwave has swept UP, with most places seeing temperatures north of 40 degrees.

The sudden increase in deaths and patients being admitted to hospitals with fever, breathing trouble, and other issues have overwhelmed the hospital, which has put its staff on alert.

23 patients died on June 15, 20 the next day, and 11 yesterday, SK Yadav, in-charge Medical Superintendent, District Hospital Ballia, said.

Dr BP Tiwari, Additional Health Director, Azamgarh Circle, has said a team is coming from Lucknow to investigate if there's some disease which is not being detected. When it is too hot or cold, respiratory patients, diabetes patients, and blood pressure patients are at increased risk. The mercury rising a little may have led to their deaths, Dr Tiwari speculated.

There's such a rush at the district hospital that patients are unable to get stretchers, and many attendants are carrying their patients to the emergency ward on their shoulders. The Additional Health Director has, however, claimed that it gets difficult if ten patients turn up at the same time, but they do have stretchers.

UP Health Minister Brajesh Pathak has said the government has taken serious cognisance of the incident in Ballia, and he is personally monitoring the situation there.

"Two senior doctors, of Director level, have been sent to the spot. They will apprise the administration of the situation in writing very soon," he said, adding that the Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Diwakar Singh has been removed from his post for "giving a careless statement on deaths caused by heatwave without having proper information".