Establish chest clinics, ensure doctors sit for two hours; Central government directs states regarding air pollution:

News Topical, Digital Desk : The central government has issued an advisory to all states and union territories to ensure functioning of chest clinics in government health centres and medical colleges under the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH) to tackle air pollution-related diseases.

The consultation said that during the months of high air pollution (usually September to March), these clinics are expected to operate for at least two hours daily.

Issuing immediate action directives, the Health Ministry stated that pollution increases the incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, hospitals must be prepared. These chest clinics could be established in community health centers, district hospitals, and medical colleges in urban areas. All such clinics will be covered under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP).

The advisory states that chest clinics will screen and treat patients with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases exacerbated by pollution. The ministry has also asked these health centers to maintain records of these patients through state or national-level digital tools such as the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP).

It has also been said that high-risk patients have to be identified and their register has to be maintained and the details of such people can also be shared with Asha, ANM and CHO of the concerned block.

The consultation also calls for training doctors and staff to treat and care for respiratory and cardiac issues.

In a letter to chief secretaries, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that during winter, air quality in many areas across the country often reaches "poor" to "severe" levels. This poses a health challenge. Together, we can work towards a healthier, cleaner, and more resilient ecosystem.