Observer Report
The latest statistics from online healthcare startup Find My Doctor show that the Districts South and East have the highest number of non-communicable, or non-infectious, diseases among all districts in Karachi.
These infections include diabetes, respiratory and post-Covid infections.
Find My Doctor carried out over 70,000 checkups in the city last year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, with people unable to access medical treatment due to lockdowns, communicable and non-communicable diseases continued to rise in Pakistan.
“We continued to send PMDC-verified doctors to people’s homes, ensuring that people minimise their exposure and risk to the virus,” the organisation said in a statement.
Respiratory infections
Respiratory infections had a prevalence of 12.4% with 8,892 patients diagnosed or treated.
Some chronic respiratory infections include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, occupational lung disease, pulmonary hypertension and cystic fibrosis.
In Karachi, the gender ratio of those affected was roughly equal–50.1% women and 49.9% men.
District South had 44.3% of the total respiratory infections while District East had 39.1%.
Diabetes
Diabetes was prevalent in 4,847 patients which makes 6.8% of those surveyed. Most were over 55 years of age.
The gender distribution was again equal with men 50.4% and women 49.6%
The breakdown across districts was: 41.3% in South, 40.4% in East, 10.4% in Central, 3.1% in West, 2.7% in Malir and 2.1% in Korangi.
Pakistan ranks among top 10 countries for diabetes incidence.
Post-Covid infections
A significant percentage of patients–2.8%–had disease symptoms after recovering from COVID-19. A total of 1,952 people across different districts had some symptoms or infections afterwards.
Though the new coronavirus has affected men worse, FMD found 48% of males with post-Covid infections and 52% of women. They belonged to the age bracket of 55 years and above.
Here’s the district-wise breakdown: 44.8% in South, 37.3% in East, 9.3% in Central, 3.5% in West, 3.3% in Malir and 1.8% in Korangi.
Someone who suspects they have COVID-19 can request a checkup by a doctor first through Find My Doctor’s website or app, CEO Saad Siddiqui said last year on March 25 when the lockdown was newly imposed
