Lahore: The College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) has approved the East Medical Ward of Mayo Hospital, Lahore, for FCPS training in rheumatology, making it the third major centre in Punjab offering level IV qualification in super-specialization.

Rheumatology, a branch of medicine which deals with diagnosis and management of diseases which primarily affect joints, bones and muscles, has been one of the most-neglected specialties in both public and private sector health facilities across the country. Rheumatic diseases are the single largest cause of physical disability throughout the world.

According to a recently complied report by the Pakistan Society for Rheumatology, 15 per cent population of the country is suffering from rheumatologic diseases and nine per cent have physical disability. Since their number in Pakistan is very low --- only 50 rheumatologists in both public and private sectors -- presently one rheumatologist is supposed to handle 8,000 patients.

The PSR report says 4,000 rheumatologists are required urgently to meet health needs of the patients.“With the approval of the CPSP, the East Medical Ward has become the 8th centre all over the country and third in public sector hospitals in Punjab”, said the head of the Unit and Dean of Medicine of King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Prof Irshad Hussain Qureshi.

Sharing salient features of the programme, he said since the East Medical Ward was well equipped and had the services of highly-qualified senior doctors, it would produce good number of rheumatologists to meet the acute dearth in the specialty. Similarly, he said, it would attract more and more medics to learn this speciality and motivate other health education institutions to introduce this discipline.

He said that the East Medical Ward had formally started induction to impart FCPS/MD training for rheumatology, the super specialization (level IV qualification).

Prof Qureshi said that the doctors after passing FCPS/MD in general medicine and general surgery (Level III qualifications) would be eligible to get enrolment for the level IV qualification.

Talking about the acute dearth of qualified/experienced medics in this field and the sufferings of the patients, he said there was little awareness in public about this disease and only a few rheumatology centers existed in major cities.

“This has led to sub-optimal care of rheumatic diseases in Pakistan and there is a huge need of more specialist rheumatology centers”, Prof Qureshi asserted.

In Lahore alone, he said, a few senior doctors are available in both government and public sector hospitals. “A patient has to wait up to four months to see a senior doctor even in private clinics.” “The East Medical Ward is a unique unit in the public sector all over the country in the sense that it is providing training to doctors in the fields of internal medicine, gastroenterology, endocrinology and now rheumatology”, Prof Irshad said.

“There are only three government hospitals in the provincial capital which are offering training in endocrinology, further raising the significance of the East Medical Ward of Mayo Hospital. It is also matchless because out of 10 professors who had headed this prestigious unit after partition, seven were either principals or vice chancellors of KEMU/KEMC.”

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2018