Islamabad, February 24 Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in prison, was taken to a hospital here on Tuesday morning for treatment of an eye ailment and later returned, officials said.
Khan was diagnosed last month with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) affecting his vision.
He was brought to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a second dose of anti-VEGF intravitreal injection, a doctor at the hospital said. He had received treatment earlier on January 24.
"Prior to the procedure, he was examined by a board of specialists: a consultant cardiologist who also performed echocardiography and ECG (result: normal) and a consultant physician.
"After obtaining informed consent, and under standard monitoring, precautionary measures and protocols in the operation theatre, he was injected with a second dose of intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF under the guidance of microscopy by consultant ophthalmologist, and a consultant vitreo-retinal surgeon of PIMS and Al-Shifa Eye Hospital,” the doctor said.
The procedure was carried out as a day-care surgery and Khan’s vitals remained stable throughout, the doctor added. He was discharged after the procedure with instructions for care and follow-up.
PIMS is a leading public hospital, while Rawalpindi-based Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital is a prestigious eye hospital run by a private trust.
Earlier, Khan’s family and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, had demanded that he be treated at Shifa International Hospital, a private facility in Islamabad.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said it was "necessary to clarify that the government took him (Khan) to PIMS under strict security arrangements while fulfilling all legal and humanitarian requirements”.
“According to doctors’ instructions, there was an improvement in the eyesight after the first procedure, keeping in view which expert physicians recommended a second procedure. Today’s process was completed successfully and after clearance from the medical team, he was shifted back to Adiala,” he posted on social media.
Chaudhry reaffirmed that providing medical facilities to prisoners is the responsibility of the state and said all arrangements were made transparently and in accordance with regulations. He added that Khan would be administered a third injection on March 24.
