BANGKOK: Around 200,000 people across Thailand have sought treatment for illnesses linked to air pollution this week as air quality worsens and unhealthy levels of air pollutant PM2.5 persist.
Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, the Permanent Secretary for the Public Health Ministry, said that air pollution-related diseases have shown an increasing trend, with reported cases rising from 161,839 to 196,311.
He said the reported air pollution-related diseases include 583,238 cases of respiratory disease, 267,161 cases of skin infections, 242,805 cases of eye infections, and 208,880 cases of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Since Jan 1 to March 5 of this year, more than 1.3 million people have fallen sick due to air pollution, he said.
“The level of PM 2.5 is higher this year compared to last year (2022), partly because during the Covid-19 pandemic the number of passengers travelling decreased, thus resulting in less pollution,” he said in a statement.
The readings of small and hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 in many provinces, especially Bangkok and the northern provinces in Thailand, have exceeded safe limits this week, according to the government’s pollution control department.
As of 1 pm (local time) today, the northern city of Chiang Mai’s air quality ranked the worst in the world, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 191, an unhealthy level, according to IQAir, a Swiss group that measures air quality levels based on PM2.5.
Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok, ranked as the 10th worst in the world, with an AQI reading of 153.
Dr Opas said that the haze situation in the kingdom is expected to gradually improve over the next one to two weeks.
Meanwhile, the director of Noppharat Rajathanee Hospital, Kriangkrai Namthaisong, urged the public, especially pregnant women, children, and senior citizens, to reduce outdoor activities and stay indoors.
He also urged the public to wear N95 anti-pollution masks when outdoors to reduce the risk of spreading respiratory infections.
Source: New Straits Times
