56,000 affected by respiratory diseases due to smog.

LAHORE  -  Following the recent reduction in smog and air pollution in Lahore on Thursday, the Punjab government further relaxed the imposed restrictions. Recreational places across Punjab have been opened, DG Environment Dr. Imran Hamid Sheikh has also issued a notification in this regard. The notification says that parks, zoos, playgrounds can be opened and outdoor sports activities have been allowed. All recreational places have been allowed to remain open till 8 pm, in addition to this, all kinds of festivals and exhibitions have also been allowed.

According to the notification, recreational places have been allowed to open from Friday, markets in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala will close at 8pm, markets will also close at 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  The decision will apply to shops, shopping malls, markets, pharmacies, tandoors, departmental and grocery stores, including basic necessities stores, will remain open. Furthermore, in addition to this, bakeries have also been allowed to operate after 8pm.

Meanwhile, the ongoing smog crisis in Punjab has severely impacted public health, with 56,571 respiratory disease cases reported in a single day on Thursday, according to the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department. Hospitals recorded 3,262 asthma cases, 1,517 ischemic heart disease cases, 92 strokes, and 639 conjunctivitis cases during the last 24 hours alone. Over the past 30 days, approximately 1.93 million people sought medical attention for respiratory and smog-related illnesses across the province. Hospitals reported treating 124,871 asthma patients, 62,064 ischemic heart disease cases, 5,727 stroke patients, and 13,735 conjunctivitis cases during this period.

In the past week, 439,374 respiratory disease cases were recorded, alongside 29,784 asthma cases, 12,651 ischemic heart disease cases, 1,381 strokes, and 4,454 conjunctivitis cases. Lahore remains the most affected city, with staggering numbers recorded over the past month: 135,609 respiratory disease cases, 6,626 asthma cases, 15,028 ischemic heart disease cases, 671 strokes, and 3,044 conjunctivitis cases. In the last week alone, Lahore saw 33,051 respiratory disease cases, 2,278 asthma cases, 2,606 ischemic heart disease cases, 274 strokes, and 1,569 conjunctivitis cases. On Thursday, the city recorded 4,544 respiratory disease cases, 261 asthma cases, 492 ischemic heart disease cases, 20 strokes, and 212 conjunctivitis cases. The Punjab government has assured citizens that hospitals are fully equipped to handle the influx of smog-related health cases. Authorities are urging residents to follow preventive measures, such as wearing masks and minimizing outdoor exposure, to reduce health risks during the ongoing smog emergency.