Centre directs states to set up chest clinics amid pollution surge

The Centre has asked all states and UTs to open chest clinics under the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health to tackle pollution-related illnesses during peak smog months

The Centre on Wednesday issued an updated advisory for tackling pollution-related illnesses, directing all states and Union territories (UTs) to establish chest clinics in government hospitals and medical colleges under the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH).

 

What are the new directives for states and UTs? 

The Union health ministry said the chest clinics should be set up at community health centres (CHCs), sub-district hospitals (SDHs), district hospitals, and medical colleges in urban areas. These will include all health facilities across the 131 cities covered under the government’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

 

The clinics are expected to operate for at least two hours daily, particularly between September and March — the period when air pollution levels are typically high.

 

How will hospitals prepare for pollution-related illnesses? 

Issuing detailed instructions for immediate action, the ministry sent 33-page guidelines to all states and UTs, highlighting that respiratory and cardiac ailments tend to rise during high-pollution periods. Hospitals have been asked to maintain special preparedness and strengthen capacity to handle such cases.

 

The directives call for capacity building of healthcare systems at both district and city levels. States have been instructed to develop local health action plans and conduct training modules for healthcare professionals.

 

What monitoring and follow-up measures are included? 

The guidelines also mandate maintaining a register of individuals identified as high-risk, with details to be shared with community-level workers such as ASHA, ANMs, and CHOs for regular follow-up.

 

State health authorities must also monitor daily air quality data in NCAP cities. “The data can be accessed through the Central Pollution Control Bureau (CPCB) website or State Pollution Control Boards,” the advisory stated.

 

Officials of the NPCCHH at the state and district levels have been instructed to establish and expand sentinel surveillance for air pollution-related illnesses.

 

What did the Union health secretary say? 

In a letter to chief secretaries, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that during winter, air quality in several regions often dips to poor or severe levels, posing a major health challenge.

 

“Together, we can work towards a healthier, cleaner and more resilient ecosystem,” she wrote, urging states to implement the advisory swiftly and strengthen the country’s healthcare readiness against pollution-linked health risks.