Sore throat and respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma on the rise in Goa due to increased traffic congestion, crowding, air pollution

PANAJI: Respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma are on the rise in Goa – particularly in North Goa, since the last two weeks due to increased traffic congestion, crowding due to increased tourist footfalls, air pollution and several other factors.

Raksha Hospital Research Centre (RHRC) – a division of the Raksha Multispeciality Hospital in suburban Mumbai compared statistics and figures over the last three years during the month of December for eight locations in Goa and noted that there was almost a 14 to 17 percent increase in respiratory diseases this year during the same period as compared to the last 2 years – 2020 and 2021.

Dr Pranav Kabra of the RHRC warned that respiratory diseases such as emphysema, bronchitis and asthma are on the rise in the coastal state due to air pollution both among children and adults alike, caused by traffic congestion and over crowding in some areas particularly in North Goa.

“More children in Goa reported respiratory ailments this year for the period between 1st December to 8th December as compared to 2020 and 2021,” Dr Kabra said.

Doctors and GPs in Goa who were contacted for feedback by the RHRC reported a proportionate increase in various respiratory diseases and ailments and other problems like viral fever, sore throat and fungal and bacterial infections, most of them related to air and dust pollution.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai the AQI (Air Quality Index) hovered around 309 – in the ‘very poor’ category on Friday, much higher than Delhi (249) for two days in a row, making Mumbai more polluted than Delhi.

A similar exercise was conducted by the RHRC for Mumbai, which also reported a noticeable increase in respiratory ailments in the eastern and western suburbs of the Maximum city for the first two weeks of December this year.