Hospitals have seen a drastic increase in the number of patients coming with respiratory problems due to increased air pollution, doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Tuesday.
Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS said, “There has been an increase in the number of patients visiting hospitals with complaints of respiratory problems and after suffering cardiac arrests during the months when pollution levels are high.”
According to him, studies are being conducted to masses the impact of pollution on public health.
Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘severe’ category for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday as meteorological conditions continued to be unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants. The city is facing its worst pollution crisis since Diwali.
While the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed the overall air quality index (AQI) at ‘severe’ level of 416, the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) recorded an AQI of 423.
Amidst this, Dr Guleria asked people to avoid visiting most polluted areas and taking preventive measures.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Health Minister J P Nadda Tuesday inaugurated water cooler facilities in AIIMS, donated by the Girdhari Lal Memorial Trust.