Cases of respiratory issues, eye irritation continue to rise across hospitals in Delhi

PTI

New Delhi, November 14

Though Delhi recorded a brief improvement in air quality last week, city hospitals continue to report a rise in the number of patients visiting hospitals for respiratory issues, prolonged coughing, throat infections and eye irritation.

‘Most polluted city in world’

• According to IQAir, a Swiss company that specialises in air quality monitoring, Delhi was the most polluted city in the world on Monday, the day after Diwali, followed by Lahore and Karachi
• Dr Sumit Ray, medical director and critical care head at Holy Family Hospital, said for respiratory illnesses to decline, at least a 10-day improvement in air quality is needed

The national capital experienced ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ air quality for two weeks starting October 28 with a suffocating haze lingering over the city during the period.

Intermittent rain led to a rapid improvement in Delhi’s air quality on Friday by over 150 points. However, the respite was short-lived as people flouted the ban on firecrackers on Diwali on Sunday, leading to a jump in pollution levels.

Doctors at many hospitals said the rise in cases of prolonged coughing, throat infection, eye irritation, nasal discharge and asthma exacerbation continues. Out-patient department (OPD) footfalls may have gone down “very slightly” as people generally avoid going to hospitals during the festive season. “We barely witnessed two days of better AQI but it deteriorated again after Diwali, and the number of patients coming to our OPDs remains unchanged. Perhaps, there was a very small relief period and that too because it coincided with the festivities. Otherwise, the situation remains the same,” said Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant, Internal Medicine, at Apollo Hospital in Delhi.