Several people, including babies and elderly, were admitted to hospitals across the city with respiratory distress on Diwali night and Tuesday morning.

Doctors said that in most cases, the patients’ conditions worsened because of increased air pollution caused by firecrackers.

Anubha Ghosh, 65, a resident of Nagerbazar who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Charnock Hospital on Monday evening.

“Her health usually deteriorates during winters, but she had not needed hospitalisation before. Since late Monday evening, she complained of breathing difficulty.
Firecrackers had been bursting in our neighbourhood for the last couple of days,” said Anubha’s son, Pratip Ghosh, on Tuesday.

Charnock Hospital officials said that several patients with respiratory distress were admitted on Diwali evening and the following morning.

“Nine patients, including two babies, were admitted with respiratory distress since Diwali evening. This number is much higher than on usual days,” said Prashant Sharma, managing director of Charnock Hospital.

“As we grow as a nation, we also have to grow as citizens. Taking responsible steps, such as using designated areas for festive celebrations, may help spare many from such health troubles,” he added.

According to Prateep Paul, consultant paediatrician at Charnock, one baby was two months old and the other two-and-a-half months.

“Both came with shortness of breath and had been suffering from cough and cold for the last four to five days. Although their conditions could be managed at home, the spike in pollution on Diwali evening appears to have aggravated their symptoms,” said Paul. Both babies were in the paediatric intensive care unit receiving respiratory support.

An 85-year-old woman from south Calcutta, who had been suffering from a viral infection with cough and fever for seven days, saw her condition worsen on Diwali evening and was admitted on Tuesday morning.

“Her condition could be managed at home with antibiotics and an inhaler. However, it deteriorated from Diwali evening, and she had to be admitted the next morning,” said Chandramouli Bhattacharya, infectious diseases expert at Peerless Hospital, where she is being treated.

“We have observed that patients with underlying lung conditions like asthma, COPD, or viral infections often worsen due to the sudden rise in pollution during Diwali,” Bhattacharya explained.

Peerless Hospital had 14 patients visiting the emergency ward with respiratory distress since Monday evening, said Sudipta Mitra, chief executive of the hospital.

At Belle Vue Clinic, 11 children and 10 adults sought emergency care for breathing difficulties, according to a hospital official. The adults were all above 70 years of age, while the children were below 12, the official added.

“As Monday evening progressed, the number of patients with respiratory distress in the emergency ward steadily increased,” said Pradip Tondon, CEO of Belle Vue.

“Most patients did not require admission but were treated with nebulisers and oxygen support, after which they went home. We gave them masks and emergency contact numbers,” he added.