Patients surge at hospital OPDs as Delhi air quality remains 'severe'

Hospitals in Delhi are teeming with people suffering from cough, nasal congestion, shortness of breath and even asthma attacks as an eye-stinging smog blankets the national capital.

With Delhi's air quality remaining 'severe', doctors advised a return to wearing masks to guard against pollution.

While forecasters on Wednesday predicted the air quality to improve due to stronger winds, Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 426 at 9.10 am.

An AQI of above 400 is considered 'severe' and can affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing illnesses.

At Holy Family Hospital in Okhla, there has been a 30 per cent increase in such patients coming to out-patient departments, said Dr Sumit Ray, head of department of critical care.

Last year, the hospital had started writing "pollution-related" in diagnosis in what was probably a first for a medical facility here.

"There were two ICU (intensive care unit) patients for whom we wrote that diagnosis. For writing that