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News Topical, Digital Desk : Nearly five years ago, the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc across the world, including India. That crisis has now passed, but doctors are expressing concern about a new crisis in India.
The situation will worsen year after year.
UK-based Indian-origin doctors have warned that air pollution is the biggest health crisis India faces after the coronavirus pandemic. Respiratory disease specialists of Indian origin have warned that if urgent action is not taken immediately, the situation will worsen year after year.
Experts said the respiratory disease crisis in the country is slowly worsening, and its cause remains undiagnosed and adequate measures are being taken to address it.
India faces a major respiratory crisis
Several senior doctors practicing in Britain have said that India is facing a major respiratory crisis. A wave of these diseases could have long-term consequences for Indian citizens and the Indian healthcare system.
He said the global increase in heart disease cases over the past decade is not due solely to obesity, but is largely due to toxic emissions from urban transport, including cars and planes. This problem is particularly severe in India and the UK.
Major threat of respiratory diseases
"The stark truth is that millions of people in northern India have already suffered. The recent measures are far too little. A major respiratory crisis is slowly looming before us," said Manish Gautam, a consultant respiratory disease specialist in Liverpool and a former member of India's COVID-19 advisory committee.
He appealed to policymakers to focus on timely detection and treatment of respiratory diseases and consider forming a fast-acting task force.
Suffered from respiratory problems for the first time
According to doctors, in December alone, hospitals in Delhi saw a 20 to 30 percent increase in the number of patients suffering from respiratory diseases, a large number of which were those who were suffering from respiratory problems for the first time.
Gautam said that while pollution control and prevention measures are important, they are no longer sufficient. India has previously demonstrated the potential for large-scale health programs.
The impact of TB has been significantly reduced.
Government measures have significantly reduced the impact of TB through early diagnosis and well-planned treatment programs. Respiratory diseases now require similar urgency and large-scale action.
According to Rajay Narayan, an honorary cardiologist at St. George's University Hospital in London, if this crisis is not addressed in a timely manner, it will further increase both health and economic burdens. He said that there is ample scientific evidence that air pollution is a cause of many serious diseases, including cardiovascular disease and respiratory illnesses.
He said, many early symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, mild cough, throat irritation, dry eyes, skin rashes and frequent infections are often ignored but can be early warning signs of serious chronic diseases.
Bullet train project work halted due to pollution norms violation
Amid rising air pollution in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken strict action and immediately halted construction work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). The action was taken after an inspection revealed violations of pollution control regulations.
This decision comes after the Bombay High Court recently reprimanded the BMC for air pollution in the city and questioned construction activities. The court explicitly warned that approval for new construction could be withheld if the situation doesn't improve.
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