The government’s negligence of healthcare can be judged by the fact there is no budgetary allocation for non-communicable diseases like psoriasis in the 2012-13 budget despite the fact that more than five per cent of the population is suffering from this disease.
This was the crux of a recent event titled ‘Dermato-Expert League 2012” organised by Novartis Pharma. According to a Novartis press release, the basic theme was ‘Psoriasis-Its More than Deep Skin’.
The event was designed to create awareness about the World Psoriasis Day on October 29.
Psoriasis is a life-long skin disorder that causes red, scaly lesions to appear on the skin. The lesions can show up on any area of the body and can develop in males or females of any race or age.
Brig Dr Zafar Iqbal Sheikh, head of the Dermatology at Military Hospital Rawalpindi, said, “There is lack of awareness about psoriasis. Patients are ignorant of the fact they would have to continue treatment for life.”
Speakers also highlighted that 55 percent of patients in the country cannot afford treatment.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 23rd, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ