Delhi colder than hilly areas, OPD rush increases by 20 per cent: AIIMS Director Dr Randeed Guleria

The Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Dr Randeep Guleria on Monday said that Delhi is witnessing more chill than hilly areas and OPD rush had increased by 20 per cent with people suffering from different respiratory ailments.

"Delhi is facing cold weather for the past few weeks. The cold is more severe than the hilly areas. The mean temperatures are lower here because of fog and no sunshine. Because of the cold weather, there is a rise of 15-20 per cent in the number of patients in OPD. Bronchitis cases go up. Heart patients also face risks. If the healthy people do not take care of themselves, they may face a condition called hypothermia which results in abnormally low body temperatures," Dr Guleria told ANI.

"Dryness of skin is caused by cold weather and there is irritation in the eyes. Viral infections and influenza cases are higher as the virus stays in the air in a high number. Young children and older people may also contract pneumonia. If people go for morning walks, they should keep themselves properly covered. Ideally, when the temperatures go higher then people should go for walking," he added.

Delhi continued to shiver due to cold wave conditions on Sunday, with the minimum temperature recorded at 2 degrees Celsius.

On Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red' warning for the national capital as cold wave conditions continued unabated in the region. The red colour denotes extreme weather conditions.

From December 31 onwards, rain is likely in the capital city and its adjoining areas such as Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.

This weather phenomenon is likely to continue till January 3, predicted the weather forecast agency.