Soaring temperatures see Mumbai officially record 3 cases of heatstroke this May

MUMBAI: The city, which is mostly cradled by the coast has officially documented three cases of heatstroke in May, state officials confirmed. Soaring temperatures across the state since April are a factor, but improved reporting of heat-related illnesses has also shed light on these previously unseen cases, officials said.
Heatstroke is a severe heat-related illness that occurs when body’s temperature regulation system fails due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures, often worsened by high humidity. Maharashtra has reported a total of 276 cases between March and May this year. The highest number of heatstroke cases have been reported from Nashik (29) followed by Jalna (28) and Buldhana (23) — all reporting temperatures above 40 degrees on several occasions. Neighbouring Pune and Thane have reported eight cases of heatstrokes each. No deaths have been reported so far, although districts like Nagpur are probing several unidentified roadside fatalities for potential heatstroke links.
In Mumbai, doctors have noticed a surge in heat-related woes. Though full-blown sunstroke cases remain uncommon, fatigue, dehydration, and throbbing headaches plague residents. In April, there were at least three occasions when city had brushed 40 degrees. “While we are transitioning into the monsoon phase, heat continues to affect young office-goers in the 20 to 45 year age group, now more than ever,” said internal medicine expert Dr Divya Gopal of HN Reliance Hospital. “For instance, we are witnessing more than 6 to 8 cases weekly of heat-related headaches and gastroenteritis,” she said. Dr Honey Savla from Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai Central concurred that they are routinely encountering patients with gastroenteritis, dehydration and giddiness. “These conditions have been frequent over the last two months. The majority of these patients respond well to hydration therapy, often without the need for antibiotics,” she said.
Earlier this month, state health officials flagged underreporting, including in Mumbai, after a data analysis revealed discrepancies between districts facing heatwaves and low sunstroke cases.
Dr Radhakrishna Pawar, deputy director of state health services, said the state has digitised heatstroke reporting and documentation will improve. Previously, reports were collected manually, but now districts are required to upload figures to a centralised portal. “This portal allowed us to monitor the hot days each district was experiencing and correlate it with heatstroke cases,” he said. Dr Pawar admitted underreporting of both cases and deaths persists.
For instance, in Nagpur, between May 24 and 30, at least 20 unidentified individuals were found dead. While these cases have been referred to a death audit committee, they are likely to review only three suspected sunstroke deaths from April, when temperatures exceeded 40°C.
(Inputs by Sarfaraz Ahmed)