Rain relief: Allergy cases remain low

ISLAMABAD:

Though pollen season has started, the number of allergy sufferers patients visiting hospitals has so far been low mainly because recent rains.

Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD) Forecasting Officer Imran Ahmad said that 48 particles per cubic metre of air pollen count was recorded in the capital on Thursday, which is much lower than the numbers on the same day in previous years.

He said 1,000 particles was the pollen count in the capital at this time last year.

The Met official said that more rains were expected in coming days and it was expected that the pollen count would remain low beyond mid-March.

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences physician Dr Rizwan Qazi said only a few patients suffering pollen allergies have visited the hospital in sharp contrast the usual trend of the season.

On the other hand, Polyclinic received 40 pollen allergy patients during the last 24 hours. Polyclinic Spokesman Dr Tanveer Malik said that the number of pollen allergy patients was under control and the hospital has put place arrangements in place to cope with a spike in patients.

A physician at Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi said that due to the ongoing construction work on the Metro Bus Project, dust in the atmosphere would give a tough time to patients.

He suggested that asthma patients should take extra care as pollen and dust can create trouble for them.

Meanwhile, Capital Development Authority Environment Member Mustafain Kazmi said the civic agency has cut down a large number of paper mulberry trees in the capital in the past few years to overcome the pollen allergy issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2015.