SUKKUR, Pakistan: Over 10 million Pakistanis have been suffering from different respiratory diseases which are increasing due to air pollution, cigarette, occupational exposure and shortage of medicines.
This was stated by Pulmonolgist, Dr Javed Shaikh in an exclusive talk with media here on Wednesday.
Answering a question, he said asthma and chronic obstructive airways diseases were common in the country as wind pipes of lungs became narrow due to swelling either by inflammation or due to irritant substance like cigarette smoke, air pollution and occupational exposure.
Regarding respiratory diseases, Dr Javed Shaikh said over 10 million countrymen had been suffering from them, including asthma, while around 6.9 million patients of respiratory diseases were affected by cigarette and other smokes.
About casualties due to respiratory diseases, he said around 71 out of 100,000 expired due to different lungs diseases in the country. However, Dr Shaikh describing about treatment facilities at the department said the Pulmonology Mahar Medical College Hospital Sukkur consisted of diagnostic, therapeutic and interventional modalities.
“We here conduct pulmonary function test, ultrasound chest and guided procedures like pleural tap pleural biopsy, close and open lung biopsy which provides round-the-clock service to patients”, said Dr. Javed Shaikh
“The intensive care units are providing healthcare to most serious patients on ventilators. It has portable X-ray ultrasound machines besides limited Echo cardiograph and bronchoscopy for diagnostic and therapeutic purpose,” he said adding that our fully equipped sleep lab was available for diagnosis of patients breathing disorders during sleep.
He said a facility for intestinal lung disease clinical COPD/asthma clinic and TB DOT programme under one roof was also available.
He mentioned that respiratory disease was increasing with a ratio of ten percent in the developed countries while the same ratio in under developing countries is five percent due to mushroom growth of automobile industry, luxury life-style and industrialization.
Source: APP
