Smog sickens nearly 2 million people in Punjab in October

LAHORE: Air pollution in Punjab resulted in the illness of around two million people in a month as record-breaking smog forced the government to declare a health emergency in the worst pollution-hit Lahore and Multan.

The Punjab healthcare department report showed that 19,34,030 cases of breathing problems and other respiratory diseases were reported across the province in October, with 126,230 in Lahore.

As per the report, 119,533 patients with asthma and 13,773 patients with heart diseases visited medical facilities across Punjab. Furthermore, 5,184 people were affected by stroke in the last month.

In the last two days, 68,917 cases of respiratory diseases, including chest infections, were reported across Punjab. Of these, 6,236 were from Lahore, where the average air quality reached 619 points on Friday (today).

In a press conference today, senior provincial minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced a further extension of the orders for school closures in smog-hit areas across the province. “The schools will remain closed for another week due to the hazardous air quality,” she said.