Hospitals say 20% rise in patients with respiratory diseases

As air quality entered the ‘severe’ category on Monday, hospitals in the capital witnessed a busy day with people complaining of respiratory tract infections and asthmatic attacks queuing up outside the departments.

Private as well as government hospitals saw a substantial rise, around 20 per cent, in the number of patients complaining of respiratory issues. Cases of viral infection, cough, sneezing, respiratory tract infection and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) have gone up in the last two days, doctors said.

“The number of patients has just doubled as compared to last week. It was an exceptional rise in the number of people who faced asthmatic attacks. The cases have increased in the last three days,” said Dr Karan Madaan, associate professor, department of pulmonary medicine, AIIMS.