Sarajevo emergency services treat 1,395 patients in 72 hours as doctor warns of strokes and heart attacks among younger people

Dr Melita Stanic, an emergency medicine specialist at the Sarajevo Canton Emergency Medical Assistance Institute, told N1 that healthcare workers were seeing both a rise in patient numbers and a worrying shift towards younger people experiencing serious cardiovascular incidents.

"We are once again simply recording the statistics of what is happening. We have an increased number of patients, including increasingly younger people experiencing serious cardiovascular incidents. We are seeing more young people suffering heart attacks and strokes, which, as has been demonstrated, are directly linked to chronic exposure to polluted air," Stanic said.

She noted that Sarajevo's air pollution problem becomes particularly severe during winter, largely because of individual heating systems and road traffic.

"Exhaust emissions from these diesel vehicles that have come to us from Europe are significant," she added.

Heart attacks and strokes affecting younger patients

Stanic warned that the average age of patients experiencing heart attacks and strokes was declining.

"There are certainly more cases, and the age of people experiencing strokes and heart attacks has fallen. We can directly associate this, among other factors, with polluted air," she said.

According to the doctor, fine airborne particles pose a particular danger because they can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and enter the bloodstream.

"These particles penetrate directly into our lungs and blood vessels, causing damage that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, hypertension and other conditions that were once rare among younger people but are certainly no longer uncommon," Stanic explained.

She stressed that the health effects also depend on how long a person has been exposed to polluted air.

Doctors are observing worsening symptoms among patients with chronic obstructive respiratory diseases, as well as an increasing number of respiratory problems among younger people.

Children, pregnant women and older people particularly vulnerable

Children, pregnant women and older residents are among those most vulnerable to the effects of air pollution.

Stanic advised residents to monitor local air quality and, where possible, spend time outside the most polluted urban areas.

"We recommend that people follow air pollution levels in the city and spend as much time as possible outside the city, in the surrounding mountains and recreational areas, to avoid exposure to harmful particles," she said.

For those who must remain in polluted areas, she recommended appropriate protective equipment.

"Use suitable masks, not ordinary surgical masks, but masks that provide protection. In the rooms where you spend time, use air purifiers with HEPA filters," Stanic advised.

She also urged older residents to minimise time outdoors during periods of severe pollution.

Similar advice applies to people engaging in outdoor sports.

"We recommend that athletes spend as little time as possible outdoors in areas where air pollution is high," she said.

Winter conditions make the situation more difficult, with cold air and people spending more time indoors contributing to higher rates of respiratory illness compared with summer.

"There is an upward trend in these illnesses that we can directly link to polluted air," Stanic warned.

Doctor calls for individual action to reduce pollution

Stanic also encouraged residents to take steps to reduce pollution wherever possible.

"If you can help reduce pollution, avoid using your car wherever possible, particularly during heavy traffic congestion," she said.

She advised households relying on individual heating systems to avoid coal with a high sulphur content.

"Use dry firewood or gas, or environmentally friendly fuels," she added.

"I'm a little angry"

Towards the end of the interview, Stanic expressed frustration that healthcare professionals continue to document the consequences of the same pollution problem year after year.

"I'm a little angry, but what can we do?" she said.

Asked what was making her angry, she explained that medical professionals could do little beyond presenting the figures and appealing for action.

"It's precisely because we are effectively just presenting statistical data, while we are unable to do much beyond appealing to the public and to those who can make changes, or at least influence efforts to reduce pollution in our city," she said.

Stanic emphasised that medical expertise should play a greater role in decisions affecting public health.

"I'm not involved in politics, and I believe that we, as professionals, have a responsibility to point out these problems from our perspective. I would really like the voices of experts to be heard more and to have greater influence on politicians," she concluded.