One in three people in the world is diagnosed with arthritis.

One in three people in the world is diagnosed with arthritis. For people in Puntland in northeastern Somalia, this statistic is no different. What is different however, is that even though arthritis can be relieved, arrested and cured through a combination of medication and/or surgery, the diagnostic and surgical facility is not available in Puntland, as it is in some other parts of the world.

    There are more than 200 types of joint diseases broadly classified under the terms arthritis, osteoporosis, rheumatism or gout. In Puntland, in the absence of  super-specialised doctors or latest equipment, arthritis patients must depend on their General Physician. Sometimes, patients must travel as far as Thailand or Turkey or India for simple treatments, that would cost them little time and money if they were available in their vicinity.

Arthritis treatment in Puntland

In December 2017, my-healthconnect arranged for a specialised doctor to visit patients in Puntland so that arthritic patients could avail super-specialised consultation in their own towns. Many patients were consulting a specialist for the very first time. The team consisted of Dr.Rajeev Arab who is an experienced rheumatologist from India, an ultrasound expert from Syria and local doctors from Bosaso. Trained at European League Under Rheumatism (EULAR) at Serbia on risk factors, disease mechanisms and treatment/imaging of rheumatic diseases, Dr Arab has retired from 25 years of successful practice and now volunteers his time in areas where medical care is yet inaccessible.

Trained at European League Under Rheumatism (EULAR) at Serbia, Dr.Arab now volunteers his time in areas where medical care is yet inaccessible.

Successes:

In this OPD initiative, over 300 patients got diagnosis for sprains, strains, muscular tears and other soft tissue conditions using Musculoskeletal Ultrasound. In spite of the limitations on the Ultrasound machine, Dr Arab meticulously identified patients so as to help maximum number of people with accurate diagnosis and medication.

50 patients were diagnosed with early stage arthritis of the knee and treated with intra-articular injections. These provided much-needed pain relief to patients who had been suffering from long-standing knee pain. 15 patients with advanced stage arthritis were advised on knee surgery as also on their options if they chose to undergo the surgery in other countries.

Next Steps:

Follow-up surgeries – Given the number of patients in need of knee-surgery, my-healthconnect will facilitate knee surgeries in Bosaso in the month of April 2018. Renowned orthopedic surgeons from India have volunteered to travel to Bosaso for the surgeries. Medicines are being procured from Dubai and surgical instruments from India. (This is being planned and remains subject to change. Please see website for confirmed dates).

my-healthconnect will facilitate knee surgeries in Bosaso

Network Building – my-healthconnect continues to expand its network of passionate doctors like Dr.Arab and other healthcare partners, who believe in my-healthconnect’s philosophy of connecting patients to healthcare providers, especially where no connection exists.

Ahmed’s story:

60 year old Ahmed (name changed) had suffered from arthritic knee-pain for many years. The arthritis severely affected his mobility and made him dependent on others for basic needs. There was no hope for treatment or relief from pain because of the lack of specialist doctors in his town. Ahmed had resigned to the fact that he would have to live with the pain.

Through this OPD initiative, my-healthconnect was able to connect Ahmed with Dr Arab, a specialised rheumatologist. Ahmed is now able to walk about on his own, he is more secure and happy because he is not dependent on others. Moreover, he is in contact with a team of professionals at my-healthconnect who can suggest future course of treatment and help Ahmed take control of his own health.

Connect, for your health:

my-healthconnect continues to expand its network of passionate doctors like Dr.Arab and other healthcare partners, who believe in my-healthconnect’s philosophy of connecting patients to healthcare providers, especially where no connection exists.

The success of my-healthconnect’s endeavour is made up of small victories like Ahmed’s. To stay informed about future initiatives, visit our website or write to info@my-healthconnect.com.