LAHORE: The fourth medical board that examined the former prime minister at the Services Hospital recommended on Friday that Nawaz Sharif, 69, needed continuous expert cardiac care in a facility where 24-hour cardiology intervention and multidisciplinary backup was available.

“Therefore, he is referred back to be shifted to the health facility where all facilities are available under one roof round the clock. The special medical board is of unanimous opinion that Nawaz Sharif is a well-established case of coronary artery disease with recently documented reversible ischemia on thallium scan and having recurrent angina which is his primary problem,” said a report of the medical board released by the Punjab government.

“If in the opinion of expert cardiologists it is considered necessary then the previous cardiac history and present investigations may be further discussed with his primary treating cardiologist. Chest X-ray is normal, abdominal Doppler ultrasound shows extensive diffuse atherosclerotic changes in abdominal aorta, however, superior mesenteric artery shows normal flow pattern and velocity lower limb Doppler: diffuse atherosclerotic changes involving all the arteries of bilateral lower limbs. Carotid Doppler ultrasound shows 19 per cent stenosis in right common carotid artery and 43 per cent stenosis in left internal carotid artery. Opinion was sought from IC thrice and investigations advised by them were duly carried out,” said the report.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has demanded that the former prime minister be admitted to a relevant and well-equipped medical facility immediately.

“The sickening political circus and derogatory behaviour of the PTI government can only be described as shallow and shameful in the case of Nawaz Sharif. If anything happens to Mr Sharif due to this attitude, Imran Khan will be responsible,” PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement.

The former information minister said the PTI would need to answer for its ‘vengeful’ politics of putting the PML-N supreme leader under mental torture. “The sick-minded approach of scoring political points over medical condition of someone who has been the prime minister of the country is the lowest any political party had stooped in their envy,” she said.

The PML-N leader said the Punjab government should be held answerable for digressing from the prognosis advised by the panel of expert doctors for Nawaz Sharif. “Why did the Punjab government not follow the instructions of the panel of doctors? Why was Nawaz Sharif sent to the Services Hospital instead of cardiology institute when the doctors had clearly said that he needed medical attention for his cardiac issues? Why did it take four days for the Punjab government to move Nawaz Sharif to the relevant hospital after keeping him at Services Hospital needlessly?” she asked.

Ms Aurangzeb said the purpose of this entire exercise was to inflict mental torture on Mr Sharif, his family and millions of his supporters who loved him. “We demand that Nawaz Sharif should immediately be moved to the relevant hospital which would be thoroughly equipped and capacitated to address his diagnosed medical complications,” she said.

Nawaz Sharif was sent back to Kot Lakhpat jail on Thursday after spending five days in the Services Hospital. He is serving seven-year imprisonment in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2019