Thursday, February 6th, 2025

Health Ministry came into action regarding pollution, guidelines to work on action plan at district level

New Delhi: Considering the seriousness of air pollution in North India including Delhi-NCR, the Union Health Ministry has also come into action. The ministry has issued an advisory asking to implement the action plan at the district and city level. Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava has also written a letter to the Chief Secretaries of the states, saying that the network of hospitals monitoring air pollution related diseases in the state needs to be expanded. It is important to include seriously ill patients in the action plan to ensure that they get immediate treatment and what problems they are facing. The health effects of air pollution are multifaceted, causing not only acute diseases but also chronic diseases affecting the respiratory, cardiovascular and brain.

Pollution is becoming deadly

While cautioning the states in the advisory of the Health Ministry, a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also been cited, which shows that the number of deaths due to diseases caused by air pollution is increasing. About 18 percent of the total deaths in the country are due to air pollution. This means that air pollution is the cause of more than 1.7 million deaths. Experts are also talking about the number of deaths due to pollution increasing year after year. Of the deaths due to this poison dissolving in the air, 32.5 percent are due to “Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease” (COPD), this disease affects the lungs and due to swelling in the lungs, one is not able to breathe properly. Are.

Studies show that ischemic heart disease causes death in 29.2 percent of cases. In this disease, the heart does not get enough blood and oxygen. The heart becomes weaker and has to work harder to send blood to the rest of the body. The percentage of deaths due to brain stroke is 16.2 and lower respiratory tract infection is 11.2.

Risk increases due to thickening of blood

Dr. Varun Bansal, Consultant Heart Specialist, Cardiologist and Surgeon of Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, says that due to increase in air pollution, the number of patients in emergency and OPD in hospitals is increasing rapidly. More patients of lung and heart related diseases are coming. Those who have some heart related problems, the disease increases during these days. In this season, the danger to smokers increases further. The risk of blood thickening due to air pollution and smoking increases, this combination is very harmful for health. It is important to avoid smoking, keep sugar under control, do exercise and avoid going out when the pollution level is very high. Stroke can occur due to high BP. Air pollution can not only cause diseases related to lungs, heart and brain, but there is also a possibility of increase in chronic diseases.

This environment is very dangerous for children and elderly

It has been said in the advisory that states should take special care of children and the elderly. Respiratory diseases are now seen in small children. Schools in Delhi are currently closed. Experts say that the same situation is being seen every time for the last several years and there should be some permanent solution to it. Dr. Sanchita Gupta, Principal of VSPK International School, Rohini, says that efforts are being made to bring education back on track after Covid, but due to pollution, schools have to be closed, which definitely affects education. Online classes are being held but classroom teaching is very important.

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