Lahore [Pakistan], November 14 : The toxic smog which continues to grip Lahore and other parts of Pakistan, has worsened, with the city reporting over 15,000 cases of respiratory and viral infections in just 24 hours, Ary News reported.
According to Ary News, Lahore's hospitals are overwhelmed with patients suffering from dry cough, breathing difficulties, pneumonia, and chest infections.
The majority of cases were reported at major government hospitals, including Mayo Hospital (4,000+ patients), Jinnah Hospital (3,500 patients), Gangaram Hospital (3,000 patients), and Children's Hospital (2,000+ patients).
As per Ary News, medical experts in Pakistan have warned that children and patients with pre-existing conditions, such as asthma and heart disease, are particularly vulnerable to the smog's effects. "Special children are severely affected," said Ashraf Zia.
The smog has led to an increase in various viral diseases, including pneumonia, chest infections, and skin diseases. "Over 10 viral diseases are currently prevalent in Lahore," he said.
Pakistan is pulling all breaks to deal with the smog crisis in the country.
These include the imposition of a 3-month ban on weddings to the release of new guidelines by the transport department in response to the situation of smog in most parts of the province. Other measures include the Pakistan Punjab government closing schools and colleges in the state.
The severe smog which now engulfs northern Pakistan was also reported by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).
"A thick blanket of sky-soiling smog hung over northern Pakistan in early November 2024, causing air quality to plummet, schools to close, and sending hundreds of people to the hospital", NASA MODIS said.
It also made note of the plummeting levels of AQI in the country. "According to several news reports, the Air Quality Index in parts of the Punjab region of Pakistan spiked to more than 1,900 on November 10".
It reported Pakistani media sources who announced that Pakistan's Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority had declared smog a "calamity" and instituted emergency measures.
"On November 12, the Punjab government website advised that the AQI for the province over last 24 hours had averaged 604--well into the Hazardous range", NASA MODIS said.
Speaking on the thick layer of pollution, NASA MODIS reported, "The tan haze is so thick that it completely obscures the landscape of Pakistan from view. Irregular patches of a lighter color indicate that fog hugs the ground underneath the haze. The city of Lahore, Pakistan--which has ranked as the most polluted city in the world in recent days--is located near the northeastern edge of the fog".