TEHRAN — A newly developed system called “Hami” (literary meaning supporter) has been designed to provide patients suffering from phenylketonuria (PKU) with online care and provision.

PKU is an inborn error of metabolism that results in decreased metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine. Untreated PKU can lead to intellectual disability, seizures, behavioral problems, and mental disorder. It may also result in a musty smell and lighter skin. Babies born to mothers who have poorly treated PKU may have heart problems, a small head, and low birth weight. 

The online care system would be helping in providing diagnosis, food stuff in accordance with the patients’ strict diet and medications using postal services, Tasnim news agency quoted Amir-Hossein Jamshidi, an official with Food and Drug Administration, as saying on Wednesday.

“All prescriptions will be published online and each patient’s treatment process and medical history would be accessible through this system nationwide,” Jamshidi explained.

Owing to the arrangements made with the post office patients would be provided with their medications in three days tops, he added.

MQ/MG