Amputation prevention: Pakistan needs 3,000 foot clinics with telehealth facilities: experts

KARACHI: National and international experts said on Saturday that there is an urgent need to establish around 3000 diabetic foot clinics with telehealth facilities throughout the country, especially at district, tehsil and taluka levels to prevent thousands of amputation that are annually performed due to diabetic foot ulcers in Pakistan.

"There are around 19.6 million people living with diabetes in Pakistan as per International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and around one to two million develop diabetic foot ulcers, which is a serious complication of the type 2 diabetes.

Thousands of amputation can be prevented with establishment of specialized diabetic foot clinics in Pakistan", said Prof Dr Abdul Basit, Secretary General of the Diabetic Association of Pakistan (DAP) while addressing the 8th NADEP Diabetes Foot Con 2020.

The two-day international foot conference, being organized by the National Association of Diabetes Educators of Pakistan (NADEP) in collaboration with Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE), Karachi is being held for last several years in various cities of Pakistan and it is addressed by leading diabetologists and endocrinologists who share their experiences in managing and treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and prevention of lower limb amputation.

"Every year, three to four hundred thousand people lose their legs, feet or parts of their lower limbs due to diabetic foot ulcers in Pakistan but with better care, timely intervention and treatment as well as education and awareness, thousands of amputation can be prevented. For last several years, we have trained hundreds of doctors, general practitioners and nurses to help people in preventing diabetic foot ulcers and saved hundreds of limbs," Prof Abdul Basit said in his talk titled "Pragmatic Approach to Diabetic Footcare".

The eminent diabetologist who has also served as the President of International Diabetes Federation (IDF) for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region claimed that 50 percent amputation due to diabetic foot ulcers were prevented at 150 foot clinics established by them throughout the country where podiatrists and technicians trained by them are helping people with diabetes and added that now there is a need to replicate this project in entire Pakistan.

"In Karachi, we have managed to bring down amputation due to diabetic foot ulcers from 27 to 3 percent only, which means that hundreds of lives were saved as most of the people with diabetes die within a few years after losing their lower limbs", Prof Abdul Basit said.

Dr Zahid Miyan, organizing secretary of the NADEP Diabetes Foot Con 2020 in his address told that with the help of multidisciplinary care, trainings and awareness, around 50 percent amputation have been prevented as specialized foot clinics in Pakistan and called for using the technology to reach a maximum number people with diabetes to make them aware of its complications, especially diabetic foot ulcers.

"Due to Covid-19 restrictions, thousands of people with diabetic foot ulcers could not visit the specialized foot clinics and this led to worsening to their wounds. This issue can be resolved by using technology", he said. He further said that they are conducting live workshops where experts are training doctors throughout Pakistan on cleaning, managing and treating diabetic foot ulcers.

President of National Association of Diabetes Educators of Pakistan (NADEP) Dr Saif-ul-Haq said there is an urgent need to spread awareness among healthcare professionals as well as common people so that diabetic foot ulcers and other complications of the diabetes could be prevented in Pakistan. In addition to training doctors, there is a need to train thousands of nurses and take them on board in management of diabetes in Pakistan, he said adding that most of the complications of the lifestyle disease could be prevented by increasing awareness and educating the masses.

Tanzanian expert of diabetic foot ulcers Dr Zulfikar G Abbass spoke on the Charcot Arthropathy, a condition in which bones and joints of the feet of people with diabetes start disintegrating and breaking but added that early diagnosis of this condition can prevent further progression of the disease.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020