Odd-even alone will not work; subsidise electric cars: docs

: Odd-even alone will not work for Delhi.

Speaking ahead of World Asthma day (May 3), Dr. Randeep Guleria, Head of Department, Pulmonology and Sleep Disorder at AIIMS said: “We need to adopt a multi-prong strategy including subsidising electric cars and two-wheelers to bring down pollution. The odd-even formula alone will not work in the long term.” The sentiment was reiterated by other leading doctors.

The physicians maintained that there is also a need to improve the quality of cars and fuel, and also implement strict norms for emissions as alternative ways to tackle air pollution.

Meanwhile, commenting on the current scenario of asthma, Dr. M. K. Sen, senior chest physician at Safdurjung said: “Every day I see 10 to 15 patients that require consultation not only for asthma but for continuing the medicine. It has been found that adherence to asthma medication regime is very poor and tends to falter after a few months in both children and adults and the rate of non-adherence has been estimated to be around 70 per cent.”

He added that there are many reasons why patients stop, "including unnecessary concerns about cost of medication, side-effects, myths about inhaler devices and social stigmas.”