Experts call for setting up psoriasis clinics

Dermatologists have demanded the government to set up psoriasis clinics in major cities to ensure the treatment of patients with skin disease.

Addressing a forum organised by The Express Media Group, they said that a nationwide survey should be conducted to know the number of psoriasis patients, psoriasis should also be included in the health facility package while immediate steps should be taken to ensure the availability of medicines required for psoriasis patients.

The forum was organised by the Express Media Group in collaboration with private pharmaceutical company Novartis and the Pakistan Association of Dermatologists on World Psoriasis Day.

Experts said that psoriasis is just not only a skin disease, it is a systemic disease, which can affect the joints and other organs with a disability while also increasing the stress, but there is also no need to be afraid of this disease, with regular treatment, the disease can be controlled.

Health experts informed the participants about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis and its effects on the human lifestyle.

Pakistan Association of Dermatologists General Secretary Prof Sahibzada Mehmood Noor said that a disease caused by the rapid growth of new skin cells, resulting in new cells appearing on the skin in red, dense and rough form on any part of the body, causing the skin but the itching starts.

Read ‘Psoriasis treatment available in country’

He said that the patient suffering from this disease should be examined by a qualified dermatologist regularly, should not consult any physician, if treatment is continued regularly, it can be controlled, if not treated in time. The disease can be complicated.

He said that psoriasis is a type of arthritis that affects the joints of the hands and feet, which can lead to disability. The patient does not need to be afraid, the disease can be controlled through regular treatment and a balanced diet. He said that psoriasis is a chronic disease, the immune system plays an important role in controlling this disease.

It would not be wrong to call psoriasis skin sugar as the disease cannot be eradicated but it can be controlled through regular treatment and a balanced diet, he said.

Head of the dermatology department, PAF Hospital, Fazaia Medical College Islamabad Dr Muneeza Rizwan said that psoriasis can be prevented by reducing obesity.

"The general impression we have is that psoriasis may be a contagious disease that can be passed from one person to another, causing the patient to run away from his loved ones, but this is not the case," she said. "We don't have any data at the moment on the exact number of people infected with psoriasis in the country," she said. They will not be able to take effective measures for the treatment and prevention of this disease.

Professor Tariq Mahmood, head of the dermatology department at Al-Nafis Hospital, Isra Medical College, said that psoriasis is not just a skin disease, it is a systemic disease. The disease can be controlled through treatment.

He said that an estimated 2 to 3 per cent of the population in Pakistan is affected by the disease which is a cause for concern. He said that the symptoms of the disease include problems in the immune system. They may disappear on their own or recur. They said many medications can help control the symptoms.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2021.