Fact Check: ‘Issues of Parathyroid are easily treatable in Pakistan'; endocrinologist denies Maryam Nawaz's claims

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz has recently shed light on her medical condition, which caused her to go to Geneva. In her own words, she said, “I have an issue of parathyroid; I even had surgery in Geneva last year, in January.” 

She addressed the criticism being levelled against her by the public and the opponents, "I’ve been hearing a lot of people ask whether there’s not a single hospital in Pakistan where this surgery could have been performed. All my treatment was done in Pakistan. However, this parathyroid condition is one that can only be treated in two countries. It is not even available in England - only in Switzerland or America," she said categorically. 

She also made it a point to dismiss rumours of thyroid cancer: “I have been seeing that certain vlogs have been made about me, and it is being said that I have thyroid cancer. I don’t have cancer.” On this, the crowd started cheering for her, chanting “shame, shame.”

“I did not want to talk about my condition because playing a victim and crying about it is not what I have learnt from my parents." She went on to add that she doesn’t like talking about her personal life in front of the media but had to say this because “it has been talked about a lot back home.”

The Current reached out to an endocrinologist, who preferred not to be named, to ask which thyroid conditions may require surgery and whether those treatments are available in Pakistan.

The doctor, a senior endocrinologist at a leading hospital in the provincial capital, said that parathyroid issues are very common and easily treatable in Pakistan.

Thyroid and parathyroid are related glands under the skin in the throat and are responsible for producing hormones. 

The pea-sized four small parathyroid glands are actually embedded within the thyroid gland. Its function is to control the metabolism of calcium in the body. 

While tumours can develop in the parathyroid, they are largely benign and are removed if they increase in size or become hyperactive. This condition is called adenoma, and the first line of treatment for that is surgery because it disturbs the calcium levels in the body, which could lead to kidney stones, osteoporosis and other health problems. 

The surgery requires the extraction of both the thyroid and parathyroid glands, which could produce deficiencies in the body but can be fixed by taking tablets for the rest of life. 

The doctor told The Current that such surgeries are complicated but not entirely impossible in Pakistan as there are many specialists present in Karachi’s Agha Khan Hospital, Dow University Hospital and a couple of other institutes. Likewise, there are many in Lahore with some public hospital Endocrinologist Departments having the expertise to do so. 

Doctor Waqas Nawaz on Twitter posted a detailed explainer on the options available in Pakistan related to Maryam Nawaz’s condition with the title, "Medical Facts, Not Political Agendas: The Reality of Parathyroid Disease Treatment in Pakistan".

Tagging Maryam Nawaz, he stated: 'It is misleading and inaccurate to claim by Maryam Nawaz  that parathyroid diseases are only treated in the USA and Switzerland.”  

"Parathyroid conditions such as hyperparathyroidism and hypoparathyroidism have treatment options available in many countries around the world, including UK, Pakistan, France, Germany, Australia, India, the UAE,  Qatar and many others.”

In his tweet, he listed out all related diseases like parathyroid adenoma, which requires surgery, and other medications like Cinacalcet, Biphosphonates and Denosumab, which are given in high parathyroid production, are all available in different medical institutes of Pakistan. 

Dr Waqas further elaborated that “In the case of hypoparathyroidism, treatment typically involves calcium and vitamin D supplements, and for severe chronic cases, Teriparatide (a PTH analogue) is available in Pakistan for replacement therapy with the name "Forteo".”  

However, he also mentioned that he felt the need to write this fact-check to correct the medical inaccuracies, as such disinformation can have serious consequences. 

While the prevalence of parathyroid disease is around one per cent, Dr Nawaz delineated the specialists that have been serving in different hospitals in Pakistan and that such statements create despair in the Pakistani community. 

While it is the patient's right to seek treatment in any country they choose, being a public figure and a leader comes with an added responsibility. In his concluding remarks, Dr Waqas hoped against hope that Maryam Nawaz “will correct this error and take the necessary steps to correct it because the parathyroid disease affecting thousands of Pakistani patients is equally important, and medical facts are not the  political ballot boxes that could be manipulated for personal agendas.”