LAHORE: The Punjab government on Friday decided to retain the already notified nine-member Special Medical Board (SMB) to assess the fresh medical reports of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and give its opinion about his physical health condition and capacity to travel back to Pakistan from the UK.

The SMB, constituted on the instructions of the federal cabinet on Jan 14, has been retained — now on the request of the Attorney General of Pakistan — to review the fresh reports submitted by Mr Sharif’s interventional cardiologist Dr Fayaz Shawl.

“Mr Sharif’s medical reports submitted by Dr Shawl have been sent to the SMB headed by professor of medicine Dr Muhammad Arif Naeem to assess and give its opinion for onward submission to the Attorney General of Pakistan through the Punjab home department,” a senior officer of the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department told Dawn.

“The SMB has been retained for two reasons; it carries the senior-most professors of all relevant specialties and more importantly it has already assessed PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif’s reports sent by his physician Dr David Lawrence,” the officer said and added that all the consultants on the SMB were already in the picture.

Doctors to give opinion on fresh report by cardiologist

The SMB has been instructed to give its opinion about the two questions asked about Mr Sharif’s health – physical health condition and capacity to travel back to Pakistan.

“Though it is always difficult to form an opinion on the basis of reports (and without physical examination), the committee has been asked to form its opinion and submit report within five days,” the senior officer said.

The SMB constituted on the instructions of the federal cabinet had reviewed Dr Lawrence’s reports on the health condition of Mr Sharif and opined that they could not give a structured opinion on Nawaz’s condition or ability to travel without details of his current clinical evaluation, blood reports, imaging results and procedures.

As fresh reports had been submitted by Dr Shawl, the Attorney General of Pakistan soon afterwards requested the Punjab government in his two-page letter to the Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to constitute a medical board/committee to examine the documents submitted as medical reports on behalf of Mr Sharif so that expert medical opinion regarding the physical condition of the former premier and his ability to travel back to Pakistan is made available.

The SMB members are: Prof Dr Ghiasun Nabi Tayyab (professor of medicine), Prof Dr Saqib Saeed (professor of pulmonology), Prof Dr Shahid Hameed (professor of cardiology), Prof Dr Bilal Mohydin (professor of cardiology), Prof Dr Ambareen Hamid (professor of pathology), Prof Dr Shafiqur Rehman (professor of nephrology), Prof Dr Moona Aziz (head of haematology department at Sheikh Zayed Hospital) and Dr Khadija Irfan Khawaja (associate professor of endocrinology).

CONTROVERSY: A controversy erupted in the media as a message about delivery of PTI government’s health card to Mr Sharif was flashed on news channels.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, however, stated that the health card would be issued to Mr Sharif when he would return home. About the message of health card for Mr Sharif, the health minister said anyone could submit the CNIC number in the given helpline or App and a confirmation message is received.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2022