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Every breath a struggle, as air pollution harms health in Thailand
An elderly patient lies struggling for breath in a Bangkok hospital as Thailand battles a "drastic increase" in respiratory problems caused by a spike in air pollution.
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Medical staff attend to a patient with acute respiratory issues at the Central Chest Institute of Thailand in Bangkok on April 21, 2023. (AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha)
A
n elderly patient hooked up to a tangle of tubes lies struggling for breath in a Bangkok hospital as Thailand battles a "drastic increase" in respiratory problems caused by a spike in air pollution.
His wife holds his hand and strokes his face, with a nurse in blue scrubs listening to his chest through a stethoscope.
Every single breath is an exertion.
About 2.4 million people in Thailand have needed treatment for medical problems linked to air pollution since the start of the year, including nearly 200,000 this week alone, according to health officials.
Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai were among the top 10 most polluted cities in the world on Friday, according to air quality monitoring firm IQAir.
Piamlarp Sangsayunh, a respiratory disease specialist at the Central Chest Institute of Thailand in Nonthaburi, says she has seen a "drastic increase in patients since February".
"The patients usually have respiratory problems like coughing and sore throats," she told AFP on Friday, adding that eye irritation is also common.
