Led by an American board-certified rheumatologist, Pakistan’s first arthritis centre has been established in Karachi by a group of health experts for early diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases and systemic autoimmune conditions, commonly referred to as rheumatic diseases.
“We have signed a memorandum of understanding with a local health group for the establishment of Pak-American Arthritis Centre (PAAC), where foreign and locally trained and qualified rheumatologists will be available for the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases, which are very common in Pakistan but are hard to diagnose and treat by other health experts,” said Dr Saliha Ishaq, managing director of the PAAC at the launching ceremony on Wednesday.
Other leading rheumatologists, including Dr Tabe Rasool from the Dow University of Health Sciences, Dr Tahira Perveen from Liaquat National Hospital, Dr Babar Saeed Khan, Chief Executive Officer Ehad Medical Centre Karachi Dr Anam Dayem, as well as dozens of rheumatologists and health experts were also present on the occasion.
According to experts, rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, in which the immune system of a person attacks healthy cells in his or her body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once.
Dr Saliha said they have signed the MoU with the Ehad Medical Centre, which had over 20 branches throughout Karachi where trained and qualified rheumatologists would be available following the establishment of the PAAC. The network of the centre would be expanded to other cities of Pakistan with the expansion of the Ehad Medical Centre in the country, she said.
