ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif said he would not move to a hospital and insisted that medical treatment be provided to him in prison, said an official of Adiala jail on condition of anonymity on Monday.

The official said the jail authorities would carry out whatever directives were issued by the government in this regard.

A medial board of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Monday visited Adiala jail for medical examination of Mr Sharif.

“We were directed to do medical a check-up in the barracks of Mr Sharif. Blood urea was almost 50 per cent high and he was severely suffering from dehydration,” a member of the medical board told Dawn.

He said Mr Sharif was facing health issues as he had undergone a bypass surgery besides having diabetes. He said that the ex-premier had been taking around 15 medicines, related to heart, cholesterol, diabetes etc, “so we also suggested some adjustments in the medicines”. Some tests of Mr Sharif were held and some other will be held on Tuesday (today) and after that a decision will be made about shifting him to hospital,” he said.

Another team of doctors examine ousted PM in jail

He said that normal quantity of urea in blood should be 40mg/l, but in Mr Sharif’s blood it was over 60mg/l. “The patient was suffering from severe dehydration. We spent around 30 to 45 minutes during which blood pressure was checked, ECG was held, medical history of the patient was also observed. We decided to hold echocardiography — or echo in common parlance — on Tuesday to examine the heart,” he said.

While replying to a question, he said the board would only decide that if patient should be shifted to hospital or not. Decision-makers would take a final decision that the patient should be shifted in which hospital, he said.

The five-member medial board had been constituted through a notification earlier in the day. The board comprises Pims Joint Executive Director Dr Ejaz Qadeer, Professor of General Medicine Dr Shajee Ahmed Siddiqui, Cardiologist Dr Muhammad Naeem Malik, Nephrologist Dr Sohail Tanveer and Gastroenterologist Dr Mashood Ali.

The notification says the board would hold medical examination of National Accountability Bureau convict Mian Nawaz Sharif.

According to a statement issued by Pims, Executive Director Dr Raja Amjad said the medical board had examined Mr Sharif in Adiala jail and there was no acute medical problem and the patient was well oriented in time and space.

The statement says that Mr Sharif has been advised to continue previous medications. Some blood tests and echocardiography will be done on Tuesday.

It claimed the patient needed fluids, re-hydration and comfortable environment. Follow-up of medication may be closely monitored by personal physician. The patient will be re-examined by the same medical board after the results of investigations.

Hospitalisation recommended

Mr Sharif had also undergone a medical check-up on Sunday by a team of the doctors comprising retired Maj Gen Dr Azhar Mehmood Kiani and Dr Hamid Sharif Khan.

The two-member team had recommended that Mr Sharif be shifted to a hospital.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Kiani said that he had recommended the jail administration and the caretaker government to shift Mr Sharif to hospital as his heart beat was not normal and the presence of urea in the blood may affect his kidney.

“He is also diabetic and there is a need to give treatment in hospital under the observation of the doctors,” he said.

He said when the former prime minister was brought to the jail, his condition was better as per the reports of the medical check-up.

“During this time, I also asked the jail administration and the caretaker government to make special arrangements as the humid and hot weather is not good for heart patients, especially those who have undergone bypass,” he said.

He said the condition of Mr Sharif was bad due to dehydration and excessive sweating and less sleep. He said after the bad health condition, the government installed an air conditioner in his barrack which improved his condition.

To a question about his recommendation to shift Mr Sharif to Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) or Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC), he said he recommended shifting him to a hospital to keep him under observation of doctors to give fluid and maintain his heart beat.

“I made recommendations as per professional doctor after medical examination of the patient and informed the condition of the patient to the government,” he said.

Meanwhile, there were reports about a meeting of Punjab Governor Rafique Rajwana and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra with Mr Sharif. The two governors were with Mr Sharif when his medical check-up was conducted, the report said, adding the remained in the jail for about two to three hours and discussed with the former prime minister the political situation in the country.

However, the jail authorities refused to comment on this meeting.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2018