Hospitals face smog strain

Thousands afflicted by respiratory, skin, eye problems

LAHORE:

Thick smog that has blanketed the region for the past several days has plunged much of Punjab into a public health emergency.

With visibility dropping, Lahore's air has turned toxic and the number of patients flooding hospitals has surged.

Doctors warned that Lahore's air had become poisonous. According to latest data, more than 20,000 patients suffering from respiratory distress, dry cough, pneumonia, chest infections, skin allergies and eye irritation have been reregistered in one week in the city's five major public sector hospitals.

At Mayo Hospital, 6,580 patients have been treated for smog-related complications, Jinnah Hospital recorded over 5,000 cases, while Ganga Ram, Services and General Hospitals saw more than 4,000 new cases each.

Many of the patients were children, elderly and those already suffering from asthma and heart disease.

Health experts said thousands of other people across Punjab were self medicating or visiting small clinics, unable to afford travel.or fearing crowded hospital wards.

District hospitals in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and Kasur are also witnessing a sharp increase in similar cases but many lack proper respiratory wards or trained staff to manage the rising tide of smog-related illnesses. In some rural areas, patients complain of persistent coughing fits, burning eyes and severe breathing issues but few have access to air filters or even masks.

Doctors in small towns say that those working in open spaces, like rickshaw drivers, construction workers and vendors, are the most vulnerable. Children walking to school without masks have become daily casualties of the authorities' slow response.

The provincial capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded 300, a level deemed "hazardous" by global standards. With cold, dry air trapping pollutants near the surface, Lahore's winter smog season has returned with sewere consequences. Vehicle emissions, industrial discharge, unchecked construction dust and the burning of crop residues in the agricultural belt have created waves of toxic air.

In view of the smog situation, the Punjab government has revised the timetable of schools.

Crop burning, long banned but still common across Punjab, has made matters worse this year. Satellite data reveals hundreds of fire hotspots across the province and the Indian border region. Lack of coordination between enforcement bodies has allowed the problem to spiral, while some brick kilns and factories continue to operate despite environmental warnings.

Medical experts warned residents to immediately suspend outdoor exercise, avoid leaving homes without masks and improve immunity through proper nutrition, dry fruits and herbal tea. Health expert fear a silent epidemic spreading through polluted air.

The government has deployed inspection teams to curb industrial emissions and crop burning.

Meanwhile, citizens are left to fend for themselves by keeping windows shut, relying on homemade remedies, and praying for rain to wash the sky clean. Experts warn that if weather conditions remain unchanged, the smog could linger for weeks, with more people falling ill. In the absence of immediate, coordinated measures, doctors fear the city's health infrastructure could collapse under the growing pressure of patients.

"The ongoing season of smog is more risky for children and senior citizens as the highest numbers of patients at hospitals are from these age groups. The people should care for their kids in the prevailing smog," said Mayo Hospital Medical Officer Dr Ghulam Fareed.

In another development, the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has made mandatory a Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) for all category-I private health facilities.