At least 35 people in Pakistan lose their lower limbs daily due to diabetes, experts said according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
At least 600,000 people could lose their legs in the country by the end of 2022 if appropriate measures are not taken, the statement said.
The health experts also said that diabetes took more lives within a month in the country than Covid-19 during the entire course of the pandemic in the country. “Diabetes is a 10-times more serious and lethal health issue for Pakistan, which claims 34,000 lives in a month while Covid-19 has so far caused around 29,000 deaths in the country since pandemic started,” said Diabetic Foot International (DFI) President Dr Zahid Miyan on Wednesday. “Even diabetic foot, one of the complications of diabetes results in more deaths and disabilities than Covid-19”, he added.
Read More: Pakistan has 3rd highest diabetic population
Dr Miyan deplored that despite being the most serious health issue in Pakistan, most of the public health facilities lack trained and qualified diabetologists for the treatment of diabetes while hardly any public health facility had the trained specialists to deal with diabetic foot ulcers and prevent amputations. He said that 85 per cent amputations are avoidable if people get the standard treatment on time. The diabetic foot starts from a small blister or wound in the foot of a patient with diabetes and if not taken care of properly in the initial stage, it can lead to amputation and later in the death of the patient.
He also said that the deaths following diabetic amputations were not being recorded in the country.
Dr Miyan share that around 70 per cent of the people who lose their lower limbs due to diabetic foot diet within five years, international and national data indicates.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2022.
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