Health department flags rise in acute respiratory illnesses in Gurugram during winters

Health department data from January 2026 showed that between October and December 2025, 2,293 of 37,898 medical emergencies were ARI-related, up from 1,935 in the same period in 2024.

Under the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH), officials from the Health Department said on Friday that a spike in acute respiratory illness (ARI) cases was recorded across seven sentinel sites in the district during the winter of 2025 compared to previous years.

Data from sentinel sites—Medanta, Paras, Civil Hospital Sector 10, Fortis, Kriti, Artemis, and Pushpanjali—showed a rise in patients needing nebulisation. (Shutterstock)

Health department data from January 2026 showed that between October and December 2025, 2,293 of 37,898 medical emergencies were ARI-related, up from 1,935 in the same period in 2024. Compared to the previous winter spell in 2024, the data accessed by HT showed this year’s trends, revealing a spike of about 358 cases between October and December with ARIs, such as asthma, cold and cough, bronchitis, and nasobronchial allergies due to deteriorated air quality.

According to Dr Anushree (single name), the district nodal officer of NPCCHH and senior doctor at Gurugram’s Health Department, a month-wise breakup shows ARI cases rose with worsening air quality: “The trends showed 711 ARI cases in October 2025, when the average AQI was 190 under the ‘moderate’ category, increasing to 770 in November (with an average AQI of 282) and 812 in December (with an average AQI of 299).”

Data from sentinel sites—Medanta, Paras, Civil Hospital Sector 10, Fortis, Kriti, Artemis, and Pushpanjali—showed a rise in patients needing nebulisation: 622 in October, 640 in November, and 699 in December 2025, up from 488, 519, and 579 in the same months in 2024, the district Health Department’s data showed. Despite more emergencies, ARI admissions slightly declined to 925 from 1,130. The data also showed 296 patients required ventilation in winter 2025, compared with 164 in 2024.

Chief medical officer of Gurugram, Dr Lokveer Singh, said the department intensified screening and staffing. “Through frequent advisories, we warned patients to wear masks or stay away from places where high concentrations of dust were present. The district hospitals and primary health centres had adequate medicine stock, along with concentrators, oxygen cylinders and nebulisers,” he said, adding that block-level officers were instructed to urgently fulfill any drug shortages that arrive in their area through a dedicated fund.

Dr Vivek Singh, director of respiratory & sleep medicine at Medanta, Gurugram, highlighted the clinical impact: “This winter, we saw a sharp rise in respiratory cases linked to worsening air quality... Nearly 15–20% were first-time patients with no prior respiratory history, presenting with persistent cough, breathlessness, chest tightness, and irritation.” He added that multiple COPD patients were admitted, including one requiring ICU care. “These patterns clearly show how sustained exposure to polluted air can trigger bronchospasm and airway inflammation, increasing the long-term risk of asthma and COPD.”