Nawaz’ treatment in London: PTI govt’s own medical board opens window of opportunity?

ISLAMABAD: If Nawaz Sharif’s departure to London for treatment will be considered an NRO as is generally speculated by ruling PTI ministers and leaders then no one else but the government itself has offered it.

Report of one of the four medical boards constituted by the party’s own government in Punjab to examine and determine former prime minister’s health condition, has opened a window of opportunity for allowing the former premier to go abroad on medical grounds.

Report of the Special Medical Board, constituted by the Punjab government on Feb 5 to examine Nawaz Sharif had concluded that Sharif not only needs continuous expert cardiac care facility where 24 hours cardiology intervention and multidisciplinary backup is available but his case may be further discussed with his “primary treating cardiologist/cardiac surgeon”.

Everyone knows that in the case of Nawaz Sharif, his heart bypass surgery and other cardiac treatment was done in London and thus his “primary treating cardiologist/cardiac surgeon” is/are in London.

The Board in its final recommendations highlighted the following conclusions:

“- The Special Medical board is of a unanimous opinion that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, 69 years of age, 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.

- He needs continuous expert cardiac care in a facility where 24 hours cardiology intervention and multidisciplinary backup is available therefore he is referred back to be shifted to the institution where all above mentioned facilities are available under one roof around the clock.

- 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/cardiac surgeon.”

The above recommendations were given by the Special Medical Board, which according to the report document, was constituted by government of Punjab’s Health Care & Medical Education Department.

The Board was comprised of Prof Dr Mahmood Ayyaz, Principle Services Hospital Lahore; Prof Dr Sajid Nisar, Head of Medicine Department, Services Hospital; Dr M Shoaib Nabi, Head of Thoracic Department, Services Hospital; Dr Khadija Irfan, Head of Endocrinology Department, Services Hospital; Dr Qamar Sardar Sheikh, Associate Profession of Radiology Department, Services Hospital and; Dr Zahid Rafiq, Associate Professor of Nephrology Department, Services Hospital.

On the basis of medical examination reports of four medical boards, set up by the Punjab government during the recent weeks to examine jailed Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister’s counsel has already approached the Islamabad High Court seeking his bail on medical grounds. The IHC, which heard the case of Nawaz Sharif’s bail on medical grounds on Tuesday last, will now hear the case on Monday next.

Nawaz Sharif, who was sentenced to seven-year imprisonment by the Accountability Court in Al-Azizia case, is presently jailed in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore.

During the recent days on one side the PML-N leaders asked for medical treatment of Nawaz Sharif amid voices demanding he should be allowed to fly to London to consult his own cardiologist. On the other, the PTI leaders including the prime minister and cabinet members are repeatedly saying that no NRO will be given to Sharifs. The PTI leaders suggest that Sharifs are trying to get the NRO, which include the option of allowing Nawaz Sharif to fly to London on medical grounds. The PML-N leaders, however, deny this.