Hospitals across Delhi-NCR are reporting a rise in patients with breathing difficulties, persistent coughs and asthma as air pollution worsens after Diwali.
Healthcare workers at Majeedia Hospital in South Delhi estimate that respiratory patient numbers increase by 60–70% during periods of high pollution.
Doctors say older people and children are particularly vulnerable, while worsening air quality is aggravating existing respiratory conditions.
Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital's dedicated air pollution OPD, established in 2023, continues to see few patients despite growing demand for respiratory care.
Doctors attribute the low attendance at the specialised clinic to a lack of awareness, with most patients seeking treatment through general outpatient departments.
Hospitals and clinics across Delhi-NCR are reporting an increase in patients with respiratory problems as air pollution worsens following Diwali, with doctors warning that cases could rise further in the coming days.
At Majeedia Hospital in South Delhi, the emergency department has been treating patients with breathing difficulties, persistent coughs and burn injuries. Healthcare workers expect more patients as pollution levels remain high.
Dr Nawaz Sharif, an emergency medical officer at the hospital, told Down To Earth that 30 patients with similar complaints had visited the emergency department within 12 hours of Diwali night last year.
He said respiratory complaints typically increase during and immediately after the festival.
On November 9, the hospital's respiratory outpatient department (OPD) recorded 42 patients with breathing difficulties. During periods of poor air quality, the department typically sees 50-60 patients, compared with 30-40 on days when pollution levels are lower.
Healthcare workers estimate that patient numbers rise by 60-70 per cent during the pollution season.
Among those waiting for treatment was Mohammad Sabahuddin, 38, from Tekhand in South Delhi. He said he had been suffering from a persistent cough that worsened whenever air quality deteriorated.
Dr Harshit Jain, a general physician in Faridabad, said patients frequently seek treatment for coughing, asthma, throat irritation and other respiratory problems during and after Diwali.
Most of those visiting his clinic with such complaints are aged over 60, he said.
Jain warned that respiratory difficulties could also place additional strain on the heart, particularly in people with existing health conditions.
While general outpatient departments are reporting increased demand, a specialist clinic established to treat pollution-related illnesses at Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital has seen limited attendance.
The hospital opened its Pollution-Related Diseases Prevention Centre in November 2023 in response to Delhi-NCR's recurring air pollution crisis.
The clinic operates every Monday from 2 pm to 4 pm, bringing together specialists in respiratory medicine, dermatology, ear, nose and throat conditions, psychiatry and ophthalmology.
However, when DTE visited on November 9, no patients were present.
Dr Ishita, a respiratory specialist at the clinic, attributed the low attendance to a lack of public awareness.
She said the clinic operates throughout the year, although patients generally begin visiting from October as pollution levels rise.
According to Ishita, air pollution affects people of all ages, but children and older people are particularly vulnerable.
She added that the hospital's regular respiratory OPD, held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, had been particularly busy over the past month, with worsening air quality aggravating existing health problems.
Dr Amit Jindal, who also works at the hospital's pollution clinic, said most patients with pollution-related symptoms prefer to seek treatment through general outpatient services rather than wait for the weekly specialist clinic.
He said patient numbers typically increase during the pollution season, with some people whose conditions were previously stable returning for treatment earlier than their scheduled follow-up appointments.
Doctors also reported seeing patients without previously diagnosed respiratory conditions developing symptoms as air quality deteriorates.