What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: With Delhi’s pollution breaching ever-hazardous records of reaching the 999 mark at a certain place in the national capital, the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital introduced ‘pollution’ Outpatient Department dedicated to helping patients with pollution-related health problems, on Wednesday.
While speaking with The New Indian Dr Ajay Shukla, Medical Superintendent at the hospital, said, “Every year around this time, especially when Diwali pollution peaks, I thought that we should have a comprehensive OPD that will address all medical issues related to pollution.” He said that during this period patients have both “acute” and “chronic” problems where different body parts are affected, making it necessary for a specialised department.
Elaborating on departments that will be functional at the hospital, the doctor said, “The departments that are involved with the OPD are the respiratory medicine or the pulmonary medicine department, the ENT department, the eye department, the opthalmology department, and the dermatology department.” Even the psychiatric department will be included in the list of the Pollution OPD.
Accordingly, the hospital had included these departments owing to the number of patients who had been visiting on the daily. “We see almost 30 patients daily in the respiratory department itself,” said the doctor.
Dr Shukla sums up the mood swings that can be caused by pollution. He said, “People can develop mood swings, mood changes and depression due to pollution for which we have also kept the psychiatric department.”
Air pollution can directly affect the lungs and is involved in the development of emphysema, asthma, and several other respiratory diseases.
The OPD will operate for two hours every Monday from 2 pm to 4 pm.
