EHAD is trying to reshape Healthcare Delivery system in Pakistan
EHAD is trying to reshape
Healthcare Delivery system in Pakistan
Pak American Arthritis Center to provide protocol
based treatment for various rheumatic disorders
KARACHI: EHAD is trying to reshape the healthcare delivery system in Pakistan. It aims to provide quality care following protocol based treatment. EHAD has now established over twenty centers where consultants in various disciplines of medicine look after patients. A new development is the Pakistan American Arthritis Center established at EHAD where the first patient will be provided consultation free. Not only that even patients in other cities and everywhere will be able to benefit from Telemedicine service for treatment of various rheumatic disorders. Services of qualified and experienced rheumatologists who have been trained in America, UK and in Pakistan have been acquired who will be available at these centers where patients will be charged subsidized consultation fee.
Giving further details about the facilities and services being made available at EHAD, Dr. Babar Saeed Khan and Dr. Saliha Ishaq Consultant Rheumatologist in a press briefing pointed out that future plans also include provision of free drugs to these rheumatic disease patients with the help of philanthropists through a Non-Governmental Organization but it may take some time. At EHAD we provide comprehensive services from prevention to curative and rehabilitation. For these rheumatic disease patients, supervised physiotherapy services by qualified physiotherapists will be available and the performance of the physiotherapists as well as the improvement in motion of these patients will be closely monitored.
Dr. Saliha Ishaq Consultant Rheumatologist (Center) along with Mr. M. Rumman Khan (Left) and
Dr. Babar Saeed Khan speaking about diagonisis and treatment of Rheumatic Diseases at
Pak-American Arthritis Center at EHAD Health Care on July 27th, 2022.
Dr. Babar further stated that earlier EHAD is providing protocol based treatment for obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and now rheumatic diseases has been included. We are gradually adding new services. Dr. Saleha Ishaq said that during the last ten years, the number of qualified rheumatologists have increased and now they were providing specialized care all over the country. The patient do manage to come to the consultant rheumatologists but since the anti-rheumatic drugs are very expensive, include injectable, many patients cannot afford it hence they do not get proper care. Prevalence of rheumatic disorders the world over is estimated to be about 1.5% but in Pakistan, we have a feeling based on our practice that prevalence may be over 3% as every family has some patient suffering from rheumatic diseases. Vast majority of Motorcycle riders, she pointed out, suffer from Low Back Pain and the conditions of the roads after these heavy rains has increased the problems of patients suffering from joint disorders including Low Back Pain. Motorcycle riders need to be educated to move in a lane, drive slowly and safely to help save themselves from accidents which many a times prove fatal after serious head injury.
Responding to a question she agreed that most of the rheumatic diseases cannot fully cured but the symptoms improve, their quality of life improves, many of them who are on wheelchair can again start walking. Every effort should be made to improve their quality of life. If they do not get any treatment, it will reduce their life by seven to eight years, she remarked. These are autoimmune diseases wherein our own body cells produce some disorders. She claimed that a study conducted in medical students showed that almost 56% of them who use motorcycle complained of low back pain. Our objective at EHAD remains provision of standardized care. We will educate the patient and also inform them of the likely side effects. The world is moving towards physician’s Health Management. Rehabilitation is an important component of treatment of rheumatic disorders and we will closely monitor the range of motion improvement for example in cases of frozen shoulder, Dr. Baber remarked.