LAHORE: In a bid to save kids from disabilities, the Arthritis Care Foundation (ACF) and department of Rheumatology National Hospital and Medical Centre (NH&MC) Lahore inaugurated National-ACF CCAYRE (Clinics for Children Adolescents and Young people with Rheumatic Diseases) at NH&MC here on Wednesday.
The CCAYRE was inaugurated by head of Lupus Genomics and Global Health Disparities Unit, National Institutes of Health (NIH) USA Laura B. Lewandowski and the faculty of rheumatology including Prof. Dr. Sumaira Farman Raja, Dr. Shahida Khawaja and Prof. Najm-Un-Nasir.
The faculty of rheumatology NH&MC meanwhile informed Pakistan Today that NH&MC has a history and reputation of reliable services and always contributes towards community treatment and welcomes the patients in the most caring and proficient manner.
“We realize that healthcare is a sensitive and prestigious paradigm of community services,” they said.
They also informed that on an estimate approximately 4-5 million children with rheumatic diseases live in Asia and the minimum requirement of Pediatric Rheumatologist in a developed world is 1:500,000.
They added that the current international Pediatric Rheumatologist workforce is 12 percent of this with 40 percent based in the USA.
“It is estimated that there is only one Pediatric Rheumatologist for every 26 million children in Asia. Countries with low HDIs and low GDP have the most percentage of young population, least public health spending and most shortage of Paediatric Rheumatologists! Limited resources, inadequate government spending, insufficient structure training are the major limitations to improving the quality of care of this Pediatric patient population”.
“Approximately, out of 100 million children in Pakistan, two million children are suffering from childhood arthritis. We need roughly Rs400 to cater this need and presently Pakistan has less than 40 adult rheumatologist and Pediatricians with some dedicated training in childhood rheumatic disease,” the faculty informed.
They said that the faculty of ACF in collaboration with NH&MC, Central Park Medical & Dental Collage, Shalimar Medical & Dental Collage, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Services Hospital & CMH Lahore are already contributing in treatment of adult and Pediatric Rheumatologist patients.
Additionally, Children’s hospital has contributed significantly to taking care of children with juvenile arthritis. The Opening of ACF-National CCAYERE Clinics for Children Adolescents and Young people with Rheumatic Diseases is a formal step towards improving the health care provided to the Pediatric rheumatology population.
“ACF is the pioneer in providing health care assistance through subsidized medication and testing of under privileged rheumatology patients, and its faculty has been running free clinics for more than 20 years. This collaboration will promote the vision with which Arthritis Care Foundation was founded,” they concluded.
