AIIMS witnesses surge in patients amid poor air quality

New Delhi: Delhi’s declining air quality has created severe health concerns. The number of patients visiting different hospitals has gone up sharply in the last 10 days. As per a report, there has been a 15-20% increase in OPD visits at AIIMS Delhi, according to Dr. Karan Madan, Associate Professor at the institution. Numerous patients have been experiencing issues like asthma, respiratory problems, vomiting, fever, and so on.

The conditions of several patients turned serious, and then they had to be admitted to the hospitals. Dr. Madan has urged patients suffering from respiratory problems to remain indoors or go outside their homes for a limited period or, in the case of an emergency, avoid strenuous activities, and asthma patients need to use inhalers to manage asthma disorders effectively.

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He stressed that the only solution to avoid such diseases is to control the pollution immediately; improving air quality is essential; otherwise, people will face health issues in such a severe air pollution. Children and the elderly need to remain indoors.

Delhi continues to battle severe air pollution, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining in the “very poor” range. Both PM2.5 and PM10 levels have significantly exceeded national safety standards, posing a serious threat to public health.

GRAP 2 has already been implemented, and it is likely that GRAP 3 may be implemented soon due to worsening air quality in the national capital. Despite making a team to control pollution in the city, all the efforts of the Delhi government have not brought any positive results. Delhi’s environment minister, Gopal Rai, called a meeting a couple of days ago to discuss poor air quality in the city.