Admit Hasina to hospital soon

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Detained Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina is likely to be admitted to a city hospital within a few days as part of the government’s plan to send her abroad for better treatment.

Highly placed sources said after Hasina is admitted to hospital, a high-powered medical board will be formed to examine her health and give the final recommendation regarding sending her abroad for treatment.

Earlier a similar board was formed for AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil and it recommended sending him to Singapore for treatment. Upon the recommendation the prison authorities submitted a petition to the government for Jalil’s release on parole.

The jail authorities yesterday started inviting Hasina’s personal physicians to examine her health and give their opinions on her treatment and suggestions for sending her abroad.

Law Adviser Maj Gen (retd) MA Matin on Tuesday said, “Let there be a medical report first. If necessary, another high powered medical board will be formed and steps will be taken in line with the board’s recommendations.”

Matin also instructed the jail authorities to invite Hasina’s personal physicians to examine her health and submit their recommendations.

Three physicians–Dr Shaila Khatun, Dr Baren Chakravarty and Dr ABM Abdullah–already examined Hasina yesterday and suggested that the jail authorities take necessary steps as early as possible to hospitalise the AL chief.

None of the doctors, however, yesterday recommended sending Hasina abroad.

The doctors said they would recommend sending Hasina abroad only if a medical board is officially formed comprising them.

Hasina’s personal physicians have been demanding for the last couple of months that the government send Hasina abroad for better treatment.

Dr Shaila examined the former prime minister from 10:55am to 12:38pm and Dr Baren and Dr Abdullah from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.

The jail authorities are likely to call another three of Hasina’s physicians–ENT specialist Prof Pran Gopal Dutta, eye specialist Prof Modasser Ali and dermatologist Prof Kabir Chowdhury, among others–today or tomorrow for getting their recommendations.

Talking to The Daily Star, Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui said, “If the doctors recommend admitting her [Hasina] to hospital, we would consider that.”

The doctors who examined Hasina yesterday had to write their recommendations on a paper provided by the jail authorities. Their recommendations would be submitted to the government soon, sources said.

They said Prof Pran Gopal Dutta will make the recommendation regarding sending Hasina to the US for the treatment of her ear as the treatment is not possible in the country.

“I have written that she [Hasina] needs to be hospitalised immediately,” Dr Baren told The Daily Star last night.

Hasina is having persistent noise in her ears, he said, adding that she is not also having any sensation on the right side of her face and seems to incline to the right while walking.

The condition of her skin is not normal because of severe allergic problems. She needs to be checked-up by a dermatologist, said Baren, adding that the condition of her eyes has also been gradually deteriorating.

Talking to The Daily Star, Dr Abdullah said they prescribed Hasina a number of immediate medical tests, including X-ray of chest, ECG, ultra-sonogram, tests for the liver and kidneys, blood lipid profile and another 10 blood tests.

“And for these reasons I suggested admitting her to any hospital. But she did not agree,” said Abdullah.

The AL chief wants to go to the US for the treatment of her ear as early as possible as she has been suffering from tremendous hearing problem, he said. Both the digital devices installed in Hasina’s ears are not functioning as those have not been adjusted in the last four months, he added.

Hasina had wanted to go to the US on June 15 last year for treatment but the government did not allow her to leave the country then.

Dr Abdullah said Hasina is very much worried about her ear and feared that she could permanently become deaf.

Earlier on February 21, Hasina was taken to Square Hospital for a medical check up for the first time since her arrest and was taken back to the special jail after about three hours of examination by a 10-member medical team.

Meanwhile, Acting AL President Zillur Rahman yesterday said the government should release Hasina unconditionally to send her abroad for proper treatment.

“The government should release her [Hasina] unconditionally and take proper initiatives to send her abroad for better treatment of her ears,” he said.

Thanking the government for sending AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil to Singapore for treatment by releasing him on parole, Zillur urged the government to arrange treatment for Hasina and other ailing political detainees also under similar capacities.

He was talking to reporters at his Gulshan residence following a meeting with the leaders of AL units in Comilla and Georgia, USA.

About the Election Commission’s decision on holing local government polls before the parliamentary one, Zillur said holding local government elections is not an obligation of the present government.

The main duty of this government is to hand over power to an elected government through holding a free and fair election, he added.

A sense of uncertainty over holding of the national polls has developed among people, he said, asking the government to announce a specific date for the national elections immediately to remove the anxiety from people’s minds.

Meanwhile, AL’s student front Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) yesterday brought out a procession and held a rally on the Dhaka University campus, demanding immediate release of AL President Sheikh Hasina.

It also demanded immediate release of BCL General Secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton who has been kept detained since January 11, 2007.

Some 281 doctors also demanded yesterday that the caretaker government immediately release Hasina and take steps for her better treatment.

In a joint press statement, the doctors expressed grave concern over Hasina’s deteriorated health condition.

Prof AFM Ruhul Haque, Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Prof Mahmud Hasan, Prof Iqbal Arsalan, Prof Abu Shafi Ahmed Amin, Dr Badiuzzaman Bhuiyan, Dr Rokeya Sultana, Dr Chitta Ranjan Das, among others, signed the statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hasina’s husband Wajed Mia in a letter to the chief adviser sought permission to send Hasina to the United States for the treatment of her ear.

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