 "‘Leave Delhi if you can,’ warns top pulmonologist as toxic air grips city")
A strong public health warning has been issued by one of Delhi’s top medical professionals, who is now advicing people with chronic heart or respiratory conditions to temporarily leave the capital region due to the severe air pollution.
Dr Gopi Chand Khilnani, Chairman of the PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, who spoke to the Indian Express, urged those who can afford it to relocate for six to eight weeks, ideally until the middle or end of December.
This comes as the Delhi-NCR’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) has soared into the “Very Poor” category (301-400), making it as one of the most dangerous pollution spikes of the year.
Dr Khilnani reported a frightening surge in emergency cases, noting that complaints of respiratory issues have skyrocketed over the past week.
He revealed that the chronic lung disease patients under his care have seen a dramatic deterioration in their health: in the preceding five days, the condition of at least 50% of his stable chronic patients worsened, with some requiring oxygen support and even admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The long-term health toll of the city’s air has fundamentally changed respiratory medicine, according to Dr Khilnani. He noted that air pollution is now linked to up to 50% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cases, a figure that was once dominated solely by smoking.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsFurthermore, the expert observed that 40% of new lung cancer diagnoses are now seen in individuals who have never smoked—a troubling trend showing the toxic environment’s reach.
Dr Khilnani, who spent 30 years practising at AIIMS, admitted he has never recommended his own children or grandchildren to settle in the polluted Delhi-NCR region.
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