Health Ministry urges people not to go out of their homes except for emergency purposes

Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population has urged the general public to adopt special precaution in view of the increasing air pollution in major cities of the country including the Kathmandu Valley of late. The Ministry has appealed to the people not to go outside the house except for emergency work citing the high impact of air pollution on human health.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr. According to Dr Prakash Budhathoki, harmful particulate matter (PM2) is emitted in the air in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar and other parts of the Terai. The number of 50 has increased significantly. “These microscopic and harmful particles that enter the body through respiration and skin pose serious risks to human health,” he said.

Senior citizens, pregnant women, children below 5 years of age and people with chronic diseases are at high risk of pollution, so they need to take special precautions. “It can cause general eye pain, redness and vision loss, as well as serious heart, kidney, respiratory diseases and cancer,” he said. Budhathoki said.

The ministry has advised people not to go out of the house especially in the morning and evening to avoid contamination. People are urged not to go out for morning walks or evening walks as harmful germs and particles accumulate in the lower layers of the atmosphere in the morning and evening.

The ministry has recommended wearing a mask when going out, wearing goggles to protect the eyes and wearing clothes and caps that cover the entire body to protect the skin from pollution.

Ministry of Health coordinating with other ministries

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The Ministry of Health is also coordinating and advocating with other stakeholder ministries to reduce air pollution. According to Budhathoki, continuous discussions were underway with the Ministries of Industry, Physical Infrastructure, Agriculture and Forest and Environment to reduce pollution. The Ministry has urged all sides to be responsible to stop the pollution until the use of pesticides in vehicles, factories, agriculture, burning of waste and plastic and forest fires are controlled. For the time being, keeping the body safe is the best option to avoid the direct impact of pollution, the ministry said.