India’s data deficiencies could explain its heat complacency
India's lack of reliable data on heat wave deaths, particularly among vulnerable populations, could prove fatal as temperatures soar above 45°C. Last year, a heat wave in Delhi only resulted in an estimated 90 deaths, but one hospital superintendent who linked deaths to heatstroke was removed from his position for making "a careless statement". Nationwide, roughly 8% of estimated deaths in 2019 went unrecorded, and only 19% of deaths were certified by a medical professional. This data deficiency makes it impossible to know which populations are most at risk or where medical and emergency supplies should be sent when hot spells are forecast.
India's lack of reliable data on heat wave deaths, particularly among vulnerable populations, could prove fatal as temperatures soar above 45°C. Last year, a heat wave in Delhi only resulted in an estimated 90 deaths, but one hospital superintendent who linked deaths to heatstroke was removed from his position for making "a careless statement". Nationwide, roughly 8% of estimated deaths in 2019 went unrecorded, and only 19% of deaths were certified by a medical professional. This data deficiency makes it impossible to know which populations are most at risk or where medical and emergency supplies should be sent when hot spells are forecast.