Foggy weather triggers rise in respiratory ailments

Mumbai: After the rains lashed the city last Tuesday due to Cyclone Ochki, Mumbai has witnessed a dip in temperature and foggy weather, which are responsible for the increase in respiratory ailments. In the morning, the temperature is around 17-18 degrees and is likely to go down further, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD). The usual temperature in the morning at this time of the month is supposed to be around 21-22 degrees. As the city is witnessing a drop in temperatures, there has been a surge in the number of asthma patients at the hospitals.

According to health experts from the state and civic-run hospitals, there is a rise in respiratory infections like chest infections, bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) in the city this year as compared to the last years. According to a health official, “earlier 30-40 patients would complain of respiratory ailments, however, now the hospitals are witnessing almost 80 cases in a day.”  

The air quality index in the city is ranged between poor and very poor each day and is nowhere close to moderate or satisfactory. At 5 pm on Sunday, the air quality index in the city  Borivali, Andheri, BKC, Mazgaon and Navi Mumbai were 305, 311, 308, 301 and 349 respectively. The staggering figures hint at the poor air quality recorded by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Mumbai.

K. Hosalikar, deputy director of IMD, said, “There is poor visibility in morning and evening hours in the city. The phenomena are mostly haze, dust and other particles floating in the lower layer, trapped in the lower layer of temperature inversion near ground level.”

The dean of KEM and director of major civic-run hospitals Dr Avinash Supe said,  “Especially breathing ailments are affecting health conditions in such type of climate. Precautions measures should be taken.”