At this Delhi hospital, a new clinic for patients with pollution-related ailments

According to Medical Superintendent Dr Ajay Shukla, the clinic has been set up by the hospital to cater to those facing issues due to pollution. “This was my own initiative and it struck me that we need this,” says Dr Shukla.

He says people need to be aware that their illness has been triggered and exacerbated due to pollution, and they need to be educated and counseled — this was not possible in the general OPD, which is why the dedicated OPD was started.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s average air quality on Monday was in the ‘very poor’ category with an AQI of 304. With Diwali a few days away, pollution levels are expected to spike.

“Pollution affects parts of our body that come in contact with polluted air so your lungs are very vulnerable… the mind and brain can also get affected leading to anxiety, depression, and panic attacks,” adds Dr Shukla.

According to Dr Amit Suri, head of the respiratory medicine department and in-charge of the pollution-related illness clinic, the patient load has not been very high since the OPD was launched last Monday, but with awareness and an increase in AQI levels, it could increase.

“The patients who came to us are mostly rickshaw pullers or those spending most of their time on the road; they are from the 20-30 age group,” he says.

How are doctors categorising patients?

According to Dr Suri, if a patient has been showing symptoms of exacerbation for the past week and he or she has been out for work, “we know they are developing symptoms due to pollution”.

Doctors then try to find out if the problem has worsened due to exposure to pollution. Dr Suri also says a patient’s history is taken, which helps in deciding what is causing the health issue and if it is due to bad air.

Dr Suri says so far, most patients have had chest-related issues: “Pollution impacts lungs the most so we’ve been seeing patients with respiratory symptoms — dry cough, shortness of breath, watery eyes.”

For those with skin-related complaints, the most common issue has been rashes.

Explaining how the clinic has brought everything under one roof, Dr Suri says, “Earlier, when patients used to come to the respiratory clinic for different issues like for skin and eye, we used to refer them to different OPDs… making them waste their time. Now, we have all facilities under one roof. For example, if we see a patient has a cough, cold, or breathing issues but has been previously healthy; if they have developed respiratory symptoms all of a sudden, or skin allergies and burning eyes; if they have a low mood and anxiety — we will take a look and decide on what needs to be done for the patient.”

So far, the clinic has not seen any patients with mental illness triggered by pollution. “Since studies have shown that pollution affects one’s mental health, we decided to appoint a psychiatrist for mental health patients as well,” says Dr Suri.

“We also counsel and educate patients on how to take care of their bodies amid pollution,” adds Dr Shukla.