A hospital in southwest China has opened a clinic for patients who are suffering symptoms related to smog, a doctor said on Wednesday, highlighting how big a concern pollution has become for Chinese.
The dedicated clinic at the Chengdu No. 7 People’s Hospital has already treated more than 100 patients since opening last week. One public health expert suggested hospitals may follow suit to cash in on China’s notorious smog.
Wang Qixun, a doctor at the clinic, said it was set up because the hospital had seen the number of smog-related patients surge in the last year.
Since it opened on December 9, the clinic has treated on average a dozen patients a day, with the most common symptoms including coughs and sore or itching throats, as well as asthma and heart disease “triggered or worsened by smog,” Wang said.
A large red banner that hung across the doors of the clinic’s outpatient department read: “We should not fear smog. It’s preventable and curable,” according to a Tuesday photo on the China National Radio website.
The rising middle class in China has become increasingly fed up with air pollution that has accompanied the country’s spectacular economic growth. The term PM2.5, which refers to tiny particles in the air that can penetrate deep into the lungs, has become a common part of the vocabulary.
