KARACHI: An unprecedented increase in the complaints of muscle and joint pain has been reported by patients who recovered from COVID-19 in Pakistan, experts said on Wednesday and advised such patients to approach trained and qualified Rheumatologists for the timely diagnosis and treatment their conditions as COVID-19 has emerged as another culprit behind inflammatory arthritis.

They said in order to provide patients with complaints of chronic muscle and joint pain, Pakistan’s first Arthritis Center has been launched in Karachi by a group of health experts for the early diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases and systemic autoimmune conditions, commonly referred to as rheumatic diseases.

“We have a signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a local health group for the establishment of Pak-American Arthritis Center (PAAC) where foreign and locally trained and qualified rheumatologists would 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 Pak-American Arthritis Center at the launching ceremony of arthritis centre in Karachi on Wednesday.

Other leading rheumatologists including Dr Tabe Rasool from the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Dr Tahira Perveen from Liaquat National Hospital, Dr Babar Saeed Khan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ehad Medical Center 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.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022