Nawaz Sharif content with treatment, says doctor

Dr Tajamul says medical history of former premier has been obtained from his physician

LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is satisfied with his treatment and stay at the Jinnah Hospital, said Allama Iqbal Medical College Principal Prof Dr Arif Tajamul, contradicting the impression that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader was being denied health facilities.

Dr Tajamul said that a special medical board has been constituted, which held a detailed checkup of Nawaz.

The doctor said the initial report of the board had been dispatched to the home department whereas the final report would be drafted after his complete medical checkup, which would be conducted by Tuesday.

Dr Tajamul said the medical history of the former premier has been obtained from his physician. He said Jinnah Hospital had most of the test facilities required for Nawaz’s checkup but additional arrangements could be made if the need arose. He stressed that the former prime minister had no issue with his treatment and accommodation and added that the former prime minister was in high spirits.

Meanwhile, Nawaz’s brother and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and other family members met him at the hospital.  Shehbaz reiterated that his brother needed proper medical treatment and hoped that he would get all required facilities.

Speaking to the media on her arrival at Jinnah Hospital, Maryam remarked that doctors had expressed their concerns over Nawaz’s health and his checkups were being conducted at the hospital.

Earlier, PML-N had criticised moving Nawaz to Jinnah Hospital, accusing the government of subjecting him to mental torture by shifting him to a hospital which did not have the facilities to treat his ailment.  The party had further said that the PTI was venting out its frustration by disregarding the prognosis by the expert doctors’ panel.

The former premier was moved to Jinnah Hospital on the recommendation of a special medical board of the Services Hospital and request of his personal physician.

This is for the second time in this month that he has been moved to a medical facility.

On February 2, Nawaz was shifted to Services Hospital on the advice of a special medial board, which recommended his admission to a multidisciplinary health facility for several checkups. However, just three days later, Nawaz refused to get further checkups done and insisted on going back to the prison. He was taken to Kot Lakhpat Jail on February 7 after staying at Services Hospital for five days.

Two days after being shifted back to the jail on his own demand, the former premier’s personal physician through a letter to the home department requested to take into consideration the recommendations of the medical board, which had suggested shifting Nawaz to a cardiac centre.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2019.