The issue of air pollution has become so serious in Delhi that the situation has prompted city's RML hospital to open India's first air pollution clinic, where patients coming with complaints caused by air pollution will get comprehensive treatment under one roof.

In what could be a major relief for patients with respiratory problems triggered by hazardous air quality, the hospital has set up a dedicated air pollution clinic, which will function from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Initially, the clinic will function on every Monday.

Dr Desh Deepak from the Department of Respiratory Medicine at RML Hospital said, "For the last eight to ten years, we have been noticing in this season (winters) that air pollution-related diseases have risen by 30 per cent."

However, what is observed is that patients complaining of various diseases due to air pollution do not know that they are developing air pollution-triggered diseases due to which they are forced to visit different departments. 

Highlighting the clinic's objective to offer patients comprehensive care in a single location, Dr Deepak emphasised that the facility will encompass various departments, including ophthalmology, otolaryngology (ENT), dermatology, pathology, and respiratory medicine, with the latter later spearheading the clinic's services. 

The advantage of this clinic is that the patient does not need separate registration. The other major objective of this clinic is to spread awareness about air pollution and its related diseases. We will also educate them about their responsibility to curb levels of air pollution. As far as our knowledge is concerned, this is the first clinic opened in India at a public hospital dedicated to air pollution.