Smog has severely impacted the health of sensitive citizens across Punjab, with approximately 1.93 million people visiting hospitals over the past 30 days for respiratory and related illnesses, according to the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department on Sunday. In the last month, hospitals in Punjab received 124,660 asthma patients, 62,908 cases of ischemic heart disease, 5,953 stroke patients, and 12,694 cases of conjunctivitis. The department further reported that in the past seven days alone, 452,567 respiratory disease cases, 31,707 asthma cases, 13,768 ischemic heart disease cases, 1,695 strokes, and 47,224 conjunctivitis cases were treated. Over the last 24 hours, hospitals handled 53,377 respiratory disease cases, 3,509 asthma cases, 883 ischemic heart disease cases, 104 strokes, and 656 conjunctivitis cases.

Lahore, the city most impacted by smog, reported 132,558 respiratory disease cases, 5,954 asthma cases, 14,869 ischemic heart disease cases, 583 strokes, and 2,395 conjunctivitis cases over the past month. In the last seven days, the city saw 34,168 respiratory disease cases, 2,321 asthma cases, 1,835 ischemic heart disease cases, 331 strokes, and 1,602 conjunctivitis cases. During the last 24 hours, 4,108 respiratory disease cases, 393 asthma cases, 129 ischemic heart disease cases, 47 strokes, and 293 conjunctivitis cases were recorded in the city. The Punjab government has assured the public that hospitals across the province are equipped to handle the rising number of smog-related health cases. Authorities continue to emphasize preventive measures and urge citizens to limit outdoor exposure during high-smog periods.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan