His daughter Kajal (24) helped him throughout the day in taking him to the clinic section for consultation. He said his symptoms had increased in the last week. So I brought him here. She said his condition – severe breathing problems and a heavy cough – had deteriorated rapidly, and he had to be rushed to a special clinic.
46 year old Ajay is also sitting in the clinic. Who are known by only one name. Ajay, a native of Bihar, told that he came to Delhi for work 15 years ago. But now they have to pay a heavy price.
Like rich people, I cannot buy an air purifier or a car to protect my family from pollution. My children study here, so we have no option but to stay. But we are seriously considering leaving the city for the sake of our health.
They are some of the many patients coming to the pollution-related disease prevention centre. The first clinic of its kind dedicated to pollution-related health conditions. Operational from October 2023, it is a special facility at RML Hospital that addresses pollution-related health problems through four departments. Respiratory, Dermatology, Eye Care and Psychiatry.
The clinic operates only two hours weekly on Mondays, but officials are considering expanding its hours and days as the number of patients increases.
A huge increase has been seen in the number of people coming to the clinic. From less than 10 patients a week to about 20-30 since Diwali, it has become a lifeline for people battling pollution-related diseases. Even before the clinic opened its doors on Monday, patients of different age groups had arrived. Were there and were waiting outside.
Published at : 19 Nov 2024 07:29 PM (IST)