Ms Christiana Figueres, Co-Chair, Every Breath Matters, Founding Partner of Global Optimism & Former Executive Secretary, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) graced the occasion and gave powerful and inspirational speech that has ignited the soul of the doctors.
Dr. Maria Neira, Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental & Social Determinants of Health, W.H.O. (via Video Message) also conveyed that “Doctors for Clean Air” will give doctors a powerful voice by which they can share their stories and skills to fight this health crisis situation as doctors are the best advocates for preventive action for better health outcomes.
December 4, 2018, New Delhi: Lung Care Foundation in partnership with Health Care Without Harm, launched ‘Doctors for Clean Air’ (DFCA), bringing together more than 40 senior Doctors (including Pulmonologists, Surgeons, Paediatricians, Radiologists etc) representing every state of the country to pledge to be advocates for Clean Air i.e. Clean Air Champions by highlighting the health ill-effects of Air Pollution and working towards viable solutions.
12 leading National Medical Associations (representing over 1.5 lakh specialist Doctors) of India including Association of Surgeons of India, Association of Physicians of India, Indian Academy of Paediatrics, The Federation of Obstetric & Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), Indian Chest Society, National College of Chest Physicians, The Cardiological Society of India, Indian Radiological and Imaging Association, Indian Academy of Neurology, Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine, Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists, National Cancer Institute and The INCLEN Trust International, have committed themselves to this cause and will work for Clean Air for all in India.
The Inaugural Program of DFCA is the beginning, and the dawn of a new era of Air Pollution control in India. Our Clean Air Champions will be the flag bearers to bring about a change in their respective city or State.
Various International and National Organisations like Every Breath Matters, World Health Organisation, Public Health Foundation of India, Chest Research Foundation, Clean Air Policy Centre, also witnessed this historic event and have joined hands to fight for this basic human right i.e. “Clean Air for All”.
S.No | Name | State |
---|---|---|
1 | Dr. P. Raghu Ram Director KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases, CEO Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation , Hyderabad |
Telangana & Andhra Pradesh |
2 | Dr. Rashna Hazarika Director of Paediatrics Health City , Guwahati, Assam |
Assam and Northeast |
3 | Dr. Deependra Rai Head of Pulmonary Medicine A.I.I.M.S., Patna |
Bihar |
4 | Dr. Ajoy Behera Head of Pulmonary Medicine A.I.I.M.S., Raipur |
Chhattisgarh |
5 | Dr. Neeraj Jain Chairman, Department of Chest Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi |
Delhi |
6 | Dr G. C. Khilnani Chairman, PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine |
Delhi |
7 | Dr. Parveen Bhatia Sr. Consultant, Department of Minimal Access and Bariatric Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi |
Delhi |
8 | Dr. Belal Bin Asaf Consultant, Centre for Chest Surgery & Institute of Robotic Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi |
Delhi |
9 | Dr. Gopal Raval Senior Consultant, Pulmonologist , Ahmedabad |
Gujarat |
10 | Dr. Dhruv Choudhary Professor & Head of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, PGI, Rohtak |
Haryana |
11 | Dr. Akashdeep Singh Prof. of Pulmonology, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana |
Punjab |
12 | Dr. Sunil Sharma Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pulmonology, Medical College, Shimla |
Himachal Pradesh |
13 | Dr. Rajinder Singh Former Principal & Head of Pulmonary Medicine, Medical College, Jammu |
Jammu & Kashmir |
14 | Dr. Parvaiz Koul Professor & Head Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (S.K.I.M.S.) Srinagar |
Jammu & Kashmir |
15 | Dr. R.P. Srivastava Sr. Consultant Surgeon, Santevita Hospital, Ranchi |
Jharkhand |
16 | Dr. H Paramesh Sr. Paediatric Pulmonologist & Environmentalist, Chairman Lakeside Centre for Health Promotion Lakeside Education Trust Bengaluru |
Karnataka |
17 | Dr. CG Raghu Director & Consultant Surgeon, Ernakulam Medical Centre, Kochi |
Kerala |
18 | Dr. Lokendra Dave Prof. & Head, Department of Chest Medicine, Gandhi Medical College, & Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal |
Madhya Pradesh |
19 | Dr. Salil Bhargava Prof. & Head, Dept of Pulmonology, MGM College, Co-Founder Collaboration to Eliminate TB from India (CETI) Indore |
Madhya Pradesh |
20 | Dr. Sundeep Salvi Director, Chest Research Foundation, Pune |
Maharashtra |
21 | Dr. Amita Nene Consultant Chest Physician & Sleep Medicine Specialist Bombay Hospital, Mumbai |
Maharashtra |
22 | Dr. Manoranjan Patnaik Prof. & Head of Pulmonology, SCB Medical College, Cuttack |
Odhisa |
23 | Dr. S.K. Sarkar Consultant, Thoracic Surgeon, Dr Sarkar’s Chest Clinic, Jaipur |
Rajasthan |
24 | Dr. R.P. Meena Head, Department of Pulmonology, ESIC Model Hospital, Jaipur |
Rajasthan |
25 | Dr. DJ Christopher Prof & Head of Pulmonary Medicine, Christian Medical College, Vellore |
Tamil Nadu |
26 | Dr. H. Papa Founder & Managing Director, Huma Specialist Hospital & Research Centre Pvt. Ltd. , Chennai |
Tamil Nadu |
27 | Dr. Sandeep Ahuja Consultant Surgeon & Oncologists , Jan Kalyan Hospital and Research Institute, Dehradun |
Uttarakhand |
28 | Dr. S.K. Misra Senior Consultant Laparoscopic & Obesity Surgeon, President, SAARC Surgical Care Society |
Uttar Pradesh |
29 | Dr. Suryakant Prof & Head Department of Respiratory Medicine K.G.M.C., Lucknow |
Uttar Pradesh |
30 | Dr. Ajmal Khan Associate Professor of Pulmonology, SGPGI, Lucknow |
Uttar Pradesh |
31 | Dr. Pankaj Srivastava Thoracic Thoracoscopic Surgeon, Om Surgical Centre & Maternity Home , Varanasi |
Uttar Pradesh |
32 | Dr. Raja Dhar Consultant Pulmonologist Fortis Hospital, Kolkata |
West Bengal |
Air Pollution is a silent killer, taking the lives of millions of people across the World and causing many chronic health issues. 4.2 million deaths occur every year worldwide as a result of exposure to ambient (outdoor) air pollution and 3.8 million deaths every year as a result of household exposure to smoke from dirty cook stoves and fuels. 91% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality exceeds WHO limits.
India is paying the price of rapid urbanization and industrialization in the form of rapidly deteriorating Air Quality. New Delhi has been in the news time and again for being amongst the most polluted cities, the situation is equally bad in most other cities as well.
It has been our experience that most of our population is unaware of the damage caused by Air Pollution to their health. On the other hand, the Government, though proactive in other issues like Climate Change, has not yet made air pollution a priority issue. Additionally, few significant steps taken by Government towards Clean Air have been criticized and condemned by the people as it causes inconvenience to them. Main reason for people’s opposition is their lack of knowledge of the severe health ill effects of air pollution and the damage occurring to their children. If they are made aware of the seriousness of the issue, they will not only accept the measures, but will also contribute actively towards solutions.
These circumstances are the foundation for the “Doctors for Clean Air” initiative of the Lung care foundation and Health Care Without Harm, a first of its kind initiative which will help motivated doctors to become the “Champions for Clean Air”.
Nobody sees the health ill effects of air pollution as closely as doctors, as they see the affected patients and manage them. Additionally, when doctors talk to their patients and families, they are more likely to be able to motivate them as they talk from position of strength. Thus, doctors can be a “motivated motivator”. They can translate the studies across the world which link Air Pollution and health into simple, understandable words for the common people.
“Doctors for Clean Air” will be a network of identified, passionate and trained Doctors who will lead the fight against Air Pollution in their respective regions across India.