Khaleda’s condition critical, send her abroad as soon as possible: DAB
The senior leaders of DAB made the call from a press conference held at the National Press Club on Wednesday afternoon.
It was told at the press conference that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is critically sick. She has been suffering from several complex diseases including liver cirrhosis. Haemoglobin level in her blood has fallen drastically in the last 24 hours. All the medical technologies available in Bangladesh have been applied to her body. She needs to be sent abroad as quickly as possible for advanced medical treatment.
“BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s physical condition is very critical. She has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Gulshan since November13 with post-Covid complications, high blood pressure, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, liver, kidney and heart ailments. She is now at the crossroad of life and death. We urge the government for allowing her to go abroad for treatment releasing her permanently,” said DAB secretary general Dr Abdus Salam in a written statement at the press conference.
Quoting the Medical Board formed for Khaleda Zia’s treatment, Dr Abdus Salam said according to the medical board, Khaleda Zia’s next treatment in Bangladesh is not possible. “In such a situation, we call upon the government to allow Khaleda Zia going abroad releasing her permanently,” he said.
On November 12, she was taken to Evercare Hospital for examination. She was later admitted to the hospital with liver problems which caused internal bleeding. By the method of band ligation, doctors tried to stop the bleeding.
Dr Salam continued, “As she is a patient of diabetes and heart failure, internal bleeding may increase her risk of death. The only technology (band ligation) available in Bangladesh has already been applied to her. There is no other country in the subcontinent or all of Asia that uses such a modern method of applying TIPS technology. This technology is only available in a few specific hospitals in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. Therefore, arrangements should be made to take her abroad as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will be difficult to transfer her later.”
After being convicted in a graft case, the former prime minister landed in jail in February 2018. Following the outbreak of Covid-19, the government on March 25 last year granted her temporary release on condition at the request of her family.
Her family and BNP have been vocal since then to allow Khaleda Zia to avail treatment abroad. But the government says she cannot leave the country as per the conditions of the temporary release.
The 76-year-old BNP chief has been suffering from arthritis, diabetes and eye complications for many years. She got infected with coronavirus in April this year while staying at her Gulshan residence.
On April 27, she was admitted to Evercare Hospital owing to post-Covid complications. She then had been in the critical care unit (CCU) for about two months. In the third week of June, she was discharged, and then got admitted to the hospital again after around four months.
In the last week of November this year, Khaleda’s doctors at a press conference said not only was she diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, but has also started passing blood.
While elaborating her medical conditions, the doctors said Khaleda needs TIPS technology to intervene and this is available in some specific advanced centres in the USA, UK, and Germany.
