While appreciating the odd-even scheme, health experts on Wednesday said the Government should also promote subsidised electric and environmental friendly vehicles such as cycle, hybrid motors and good quality fuels.
Health experts said while implementing the pahse-3 of odd-even scheme in the city, the Delhi Government should consider these actionable points as that would make this scheme more effective in the long run.
Dr Randeep Guleria, Head of Department of Pulmonology and Sleep Disorder at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said as air pollution is one of the risk factors in people suffering from lung related disorder especially children getting afflicted with this syndrome.
“Delhi’s air pollution has worsened at an alarming rate. It can be postulated that patients are suffering due to bad air quality in the city. It’s good that the Government has proposed odd-even policy, but they should also focus on promoting subsidised electric and environmental friendly vehicles such as cycle, hybrid motors like in Western countries.”
Dr M K Sen, Senior Chest Physician at Safdarjung Hospital said, “Daily I consult 10 -15 patients that requires consultation not only for diseases but for continuing the medicine. It has been found that adherence to asthma medication regime is very poor and tends to falter after a few months in both children and adults and the rate of non-adherence has been estimated to be around 70 percent”.
He recalled the days when CNG vehicles were not used and that time respiratory diseases were more. “Soon, in early 2000 with the launch of CNG vehicles, the lung related illness gradually came down. But today, we have lost the benefits of CNG motors. Since the past five years, there has been increase in the patients suffering from respiratory issues, especially children.”
As World Asthma Day is a few days ahead, health experts said with early diagnose and preventive measures, respiratory disorders can be reduced till some extent. Doctors said studies have shown that impact of air pollution can lead to inflammation in lungs, low birth rate, illness in eyes, low birth rate exacerbation of COPD, heart attacks/strokes, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and high level of cholesterol.