At least 36 persons in Bareilly and adjoining Badaun districts of Uttar Pradesh succumbed to fever in the last 15 days, officials said on September 11.

Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh, who visited Bareilly, said the state government will do a "death audit" to find out the exact number of people who died due to fever. Taking note of the deaths, he ordered the suspension of Additional Director (Health) S K Agarwal and District Malaria Officer Pankaj Jain.

Finding lack of cleanliness during his visit, the minister also suspended district health officer Ashok Kumar and in-charge of Jagatpur Hospital, Sunita Bhardwaj. The government has constituted three teams of doctors to look into the cases in Bareilly and Badaun, UP DG (Health) Padmakar Singh told reporters in Bareilly.

"Twenty persons have died in the past 15 days due to fever in Bareilly district," Chief Medical Officer, Bareilly, Vineet Kumar said. "In the past 15 days, fever has claimed 16 lives in Badaun district," CMO, Badaun, Manjeet Singh said. In Lucknow, Director, Medical and Health (communicable diseases) Mithilesh Chaturvedi said, "A five-member team of the central government has also reached Bareilly. Preventive and remedial actions have been initiated in both the districts of the northern state".

He said camps have been set up in the districts and medical tests were being carried out using rapid diagnostic techniques. Necessary medicines are also being distributed and fogging and spraying of larvacides have been undertaken, officials added.

When asked about the incident, the health minister said, "Something had gone wrong. It will come to the fore after reports of the tests come. Lab technicians from other districts are being sent here (Bareilly) so that the reports can be out fast". He also directed the authorities to provide best health care to the patients.