Vaayu Chest and Sleep Specialty Center Addresses Respiratory Health Crisis at high level health roundtable
Vaayu Chest and Sleep Specialty Centre held a roundtable on ‘Inhalation Lung Injury in Practice’ with special focus on the Indian context, drawing on the expertise of highly renowned pulmonologists from across the country and abroad.
Bengaluru: Vaayu Chest and Sleep Specialty Centre held a roundtable on ‘Inhalation Lung Injury in Practice’ with special focus on the Indian context, drawing on the expertise of highly renowned pulmonologists from across the country and abroad. The roundtable focused on common occupation hazards (agriculture, industry, construction), biomass cooking fuels in rural households and traffic pollution in cities among other relevant topics.
The distinguished visiting faculty who attended the roundtable included Dr. Ashutosh Sachdeva (USA), Certified AABIP Trainer and expert in interventional pulmonology, and Dr. Janaki Deepak, MBBS, FACP, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Deputy Section Chief of Pulmonary at the Baltimore VA Medical Center. They were joined in the discussions by senior Indian pulmonologists Dr. Ravindra Mehta and Dr. Sameer Bansal, whose contributions to respiratory and critical care medicine continue to influence pulmonary practice across the region.
The event was a focused dialogue on the future of respiratory healthcare in India, connecting global expertise with regional realities and reinforcing the urgency of addressing the country’s growing lung health burden.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, asthma, and post- infectious lung damage remain leading causes of mortality worldwide. However, India faces compounded challenges including rapid urbanization, rising PM2.5 levels, occupational exposures, tobacco use, and the long-term pulmonary sequelae of tuberculosis and COVID-19 intensify respiratory morbidity. Environmental exposures, delayed diagnosis, and limited structured screening frequently result in advanced disease presentation, underscoring the need for integrated solutions, the roundtable panelists noted.
Drawing from her experience in the United States, Dr. Janaki Deepak shared insights from protocol-driven lung cancer screening programs integrated with tobacco cessation services. These models have improved early detection and survival outcomes in high-risk populations. The consensus was clear: screening initiatives must operate alongside robust tobacco treatment pathways to create lasting impact. “Lung cancer is no longer exclusively a smoker’s disease. Structured, protocol-driven screening combined with tobacco cessation pathways is essential if we want to shift outcomes from late-stage detection to early, life saving intervention. India has the expertise, what we need now is organized implementation,” she said.
Dr. Sameer Bansal emphasized that early detection must seamlessly connect to effective clinical pathways, including timely intervention and critical care preparedness. Screening without streamlined referral systems and multidisciplinary coordination risks losing its clinical advantage. His perspective reinforced the importance of strengthening comprehensive pulmonary systems rather than isolated programs. “Screening achieves impact only when it connects seamlessly to clinical pathways. Early detection must be supported by timely referral systems, multidisciplinary coordination, and critical care readiness. Strengthening comprehensive pulmonary ecosystems is the way forward,” he said.
Dr. Ashutosh Sachdeva stated, “As we identify more lung nodules and complex airway disease, precision in diagnosis becomes critical. Advancing bronchoscopy standards, simulation-based training, and safety-focused procedural frameworks will be central to reducing diagnostic delays and ensuring timely, minimally invasive intervention.”
These discussions built upon Vaayu’s earlier initiative, CAPI 2025 (Conference on Advances in Pulmonary Interventions), one of the first dedicated platforms in India to convene specialists nationally with an exclusive focus on interventional pulmonology.
Dr. Ravindra Mehta, Founder, Vaayu Chest and Sleep Specialty Center said, “Respiratory healthcare must move beyond hospital walls. Screening high-risk occupational groups and integrating early detection with structured follow up reflects our responsibility to the community. Prevention, education, and access to care must function together as a unified system.”
The roundtable was held soon after PulmoKarn 2026, an event organised by the Karnataka Pulmonologists Association (KPA).
