‘Zardari needs treatment abroad for spinal pain’

Pechuho says transportation in APCs worsening her brother’s condition

KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho on Friday said former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari was suffering from spinal pain because of a condition called spondylolysis and he desperately needed treatment which was only possible abroad.

“His [Zardrai] vertebrae L1, S5 and S4 are affected and his pain is growing worse because he is transported for court hearings in armoured personnel carriers [APCs],” Pechuho, who is Zardari’s sister, told the media at the Sindh Secretariat.

“There are no physicians available in Pakistan who can perform a spinal cord surgery on him [Zardari],” she added.

The provincial minister said it was the responsibility of the state to provide all medical facilities to her brother.

Spondylolysis is characterised by a degeneration of the discs between the vertebrae.  It causes significant, chronic pain that interferes with daily activities and is not alleviated by nonsurgical treatments. It required surgery to repair the fracture and, if necessary, fuse two or more bones in the spine.

Speaking about former premier and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif’s recent health problems, Pechuho said she could only pray for him. “His [Nawaz] family is going through a very tough time,” she added.

The provincial minister also criticised the federal government for dissolving the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and replacing it with the Pakistan Medical Commission through a presidential ordinance.

“If the federal government wanted to dissolve the PMDC, it should have done it through the parliament.”

In June, Zardari was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the fake bank accounts case.

On October 22, he was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on the recommendation of a medical board constituted to examine the health of PPP co-chairman.

The same day, the PPP leader – along with Sindh lawmaker Faryal Talpur – was presented before an accountability court in Islamabad over corruption and money laundering charges in the fake bank accounts case.

The court had extended the judicial remand of both the accused till November 12.

After the court appearance, the former president was shifted to PIMS for medical tests.

The medical facility was declared a sub-jail for the leader as per procedure.

In September, Zardari was given additional facilities such as television, newspapers, books and ice boxes for keeping his medicines on court’s orders at his prison cell in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

The PPP co-chairman was also provided with medical staff to regularly monitor his health including blood pressure and sugar level.

He, however, was not given the facility of air conditioning as the medical board which had examined him at PIMS had not recommended it.