With symptoms like breathlessness, impending lung conditions and asthma cases in Delhi on the rise, pharmaceutical giant Cipla, commenced a movement #saveyourlungsdilli to help protect against the harmful effects of air pollutants on public health.
A helpline number 91-8080622000, first of its kind, has also been launched. People from Delhi NCR can access free lung check-up and also interact with experts to understand their respiratory problems. Recently, the Ministry of Environment notified an upgraded Response Action Plan under which the odd-even scheme and restrictions on construction work will be automatically implemented if the level of Particulate Matter 2.5 breaches 300 micrograms per cubic metre and PM 10 level stays above 500 micrograms per cubic metre for two days in a row.
Dr Sundeep Salvi member of Steering Committee Air Pollution, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told The Pioneer in the past too we applied the odd-even formula but it failed to bear any significant results. “Mere halting construction work and restarting odd-even scheme will not bring down the air pollution level in the city but a multi-dimensional approach is what needed to resolve the issue,” he said.
He added that measures should be undertaken to curb both indoor and outdoor exposure to air pollution.
Dr Vikram Jaggi said the programme was organised to create awareness among the masses about the harmful effects of air-pollution on their health. He said the number of asthma patients in India has witnessed a significant expansion over the last few years.
Dr Salvi said, “Taxi drivers, rickshaw pullers and auto drivers are more vulnerable to lung and respiratory diseases as the size of particulate matter is very small and penetrates into their lungs easily. They should therefore take adequate precautionary measures which includes wearing face masks when they are at work.”
Salvi also said it’s high time the Government took some steps so as to ensure that masks are not very expensive and are within the reach of the common man.
Besides Salvi, director of Chest Research Foundation, Dr Vikram Jaggi, Medical Director at Asthma Chest and Allergy Centre, Delhi, along with Dr Jaideep Gogtay, Chief Medical Officer, Cipla were present at the event.