THE POTENTIAL OF PATIENT EDUCATORS IN CARING FOR THE MASSES

Dear Editor, I wish to highlight an important issue that affects all patients with rheumatological conditions in Pakistan. Pakistani Rheumatology is still in its infancy and needs to expand fast to reach the population of over 17 Crore and counting. The increasing sophistication of current knowledge in our subject suggests that there will be real benefits to individuals as well as to society from such an expansion, as many countries have recognized. For example the professional society in the UK (now BSR: British Society of Rheumatology) has expanded from 100 members to over 1500 in the last 30 years. Pakistan would need at least 1700 Rheumatologists to bring them to the western standards. Thus achieving rheumatological care for all will be a massive task - but Pakistan has successfully faced many more of those since independence. Lateral thinking may help.