BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is undergoing treatment at the hospital, was shifted from the CCU to the cabin on Monday afternoon after a pacemaker was implanted in her heart on Sunday.
BNP chairperson’s personal doctor. AZM Zahid Hossain told BBC Bangla, ‘Begum Zia is mainly suffering from various diseases including heart, kidney and liver. Which made his physical condition quite complicated’.
Begum Zia’s doctors also recommended taking her abroad at least six times for better treatment of these diseases apart from the heart. But due to lack of response from the government, they have to take treatment in the country.
His family said that no decision has been taken on whether he will apply to go abroad for treatment of other diseases.
Begum Zia’s sister Selima Islam told BBC Bangla, ‘There has been no new request from the family to take Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment. It is not certain whether the application will be made again.
Law Minister Anisul Haque said in his office on Monday, “Khaleda Zia is getting the treatment she needs from the hospital where she is staying.” Some of his other ailments are incurable. They should be treated and reduced, that is being done’.
How is Khaleda Zia’s physical condition now?
Begum Khaleda Zia was operated on and implanted with a pacemaker two days after her admission to Evercare Hospital in the capital when her physical condition suddenly deteriorated last Friday night.
Begum Zia’s doctors said that when she fell ill last Friday night, her heart rate dropped to 25 at one stage. Then the blood pressure drops to 80/40.
The doctors told BBC Bangla that the former prime minister had been brought to the hospital before but his physical condition had never deteriorated like this time.
Khaleda Zia was transferred from the CCU to the cabin on Monday after the pacemaker was installed on Sunday afternoon.
Doctors said several tests were carried out on Monday to check how well the pacemaker is working and other physical conditions after being implanted.
Dr. Begum Zia’s personal physician. Hossain told BBC Bangla, ‘This pacemaker has to be adjusted to the body. It was posted at 5:30 pm on Sunday. Pacemaker should be observed for first 72 hours, then 42-45 days should be kept under observation.’
A pacemaker is an electronic device implanted in the heart. It sends signals to the heart at regular intervals to make the heart pump.
Khaleda Zia already had heart problems. There were three blocks in the heart. A ring was previously worn. After reviewing everything, his personal doctor said that a pacemaker was installed on the advice of foreign doctors and medical boards.
Dr. Hossain said, ‘a temporary problem has been solved by installing this pacemaker. We do not think that the risk to Begum Zia’s health is diminishing much.’
About 79 years old Khaleda Zia has been suffering from various complications including heart disease, liver, lung, kidney, arthritis, diabetes for a long time .
Among these, liver, kidney and heart disease are considered the most dangerous factors for Begum Zia by her doctors.
Doctors say that Begum Zia’s liver has now been implanted with a device. Liver disease is the major cause of Begum Zia’s health risk.
Begum Zia’s personal physician Dr Hossain told BBC Bangla, ‘Madam’s liver has not been permanently transplanted. It remains to be seen whether a permanent liver transplant is possible at his current age. Doctors outside the country are telling us to go abroad to do that.
The former prime minister’s kidney disease is believed to be another risk factor.
Doctors told BBC Bangla that the amount of creatinine is increasing after taking some kind of medicine. Worrying about it is not decreasing.
Dr. Hossain told BBC Bangla, ‘Madam’s chronic disease. John Hopkins doctors asked us yesterday also why we are not going there for treatment’.
Besides, Begum Zia already had heart problems. There was also a heart block before. For that reason, a stenting was also done, his doctors said.
Begum Khaleda Zia has all three of the common heart conditions, her doctors said.
Begum Zia’s personal physician Dr. Hossain told BBC Bangla, ‘Now a pacemaker has been installed. It’s working. He later has more blocks in his heart. They also need treatment’.
Medical Board Recommendation
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is undergoing treatment under the supervision of a medical board consisting of expert doctors headed by cardiologist Professor Shahabuddin Talukdar. In these meetings of the medical board, Dr. Zubaida Rahman from London and some specialist doctors from the United States and Australia are connected virtually.
The members of her medical board say that Khaleda Zia has been examining all the diseases that she has been suffering from for the last few years and discussing them in the medical board.
A member of the medical board told BBC Bangla, ‘Mrs. Zia’s body is not just a single disease. Suppose when there is a problem in the liver but the hemoglobin is decreasing. One disease is creating more new crises.’
Doctors say that Khaleda Zia’s liver has been treated through portosystemic anastomosis by bringing doctors from abroad. Now, if suddenly there is a complication with it, what will be the solution, they don’t even know the answer.
A member of that medical board and Khaleda Zia’s personal physician Dr. Hossain told BBC Bangla, “The medical board has been jointly recommending in writing for the last two and a half years, ‘C Needs Treatment in a Modern Multidisciplinary Hospital Abroad’.”
This doctor said, ‘It is not our or BNP’s recommendation to take Begum Zia out of the country, it is the recommendation of the medical board combined with local and foreign doctors.’
The members of the board say that the members of this board have specifically recommended admission for treatment in hospitals in the United States, the United Kingdom or Germany.
Khaleda Zia to take abroad where?
When Khaleda Zia’s physical condition deteriorated at the end of last year, a letter was sent by the family. After communicating with the government, Khaleda Zia’s brother Shamim Iskandar wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 25 of that year.
In response to this, the law minister said, “If Khaleda Zia is to go abroad for treatment, she must first go to jail and then apply to the court.”
Later on October 26, Khaleda Zia’s liver blood vessels were operated on by three specialist doctors from the School of Medicine of the Johns Hopkins University in the United States at Evercare Hospital.
Begum Zia’s doctors say that if Khaleda Zia’s diseases were possible in the country, the medical board would not have applied to take her abroad.
Private physician Dr. Hossain said, ‘The medical board has repeatedly recommended. But this recommendation was not taken into consideration. Our foreign doctors are warning about the risks of treatment in the country. But we are not getting that opportunity.’
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, attending an event in the capital on Sunday, complained, ‘Medical Board has repeatedly said that multi-disciplinary hospitals are needed in developed countries to treat multi-various diseases. It has been said by the party. But the government is not giving treatment opportunities due to political revenge.’
In response to this on Monday, Law Minister Anisul Haque said in an event, “The treatment that Khaleda Zia needs, she is getting that treatment in the hospital she is in.” Some of them are beyond recovery. These should be treated and minimized. That is being done’.
Khaleda Zia, convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, is currently on parole. The conditions are – firstly, he will take treatment at home and secondly, he cannot go abroad.
It has always been said by the government that Khaleda Zia is not allowed to go abroad according to the law.
Dr. Hossain, Khaleda Zia’s doctor, said, ‘On the recommendation of the medical board, the family has applied six times to take her abroad for treatment. But there was no response.’
He said that if the government is sincere then the application will be made again if necessary. However, Khaleda Zia needs treatment outside the country.
However, Begum Zia’s family was asked by BBC Bengal whether the application plan has been taken yet.
His sister Selima Islam told BBC Bangla, “There are no plans for a fresh application yet.”