Medical board rejects Nawaz's health reports, says they are 'incomplete'

LAHORE: A medical board constituted by the Punjab government has returned former premier Nawaz Sharif's medical reports to the Home Department with the objection that they are unacceptable and 'incomplete'.

The board, which had been constituted to assess the health of the PML-N supreme leader, said it could not do its job using the medical reports sent by the Sharif family from London, as they were "incomplete and insufficient".

The board's chair informed the Punjab government that a meeting had been held to examine the reports but it failed to arrive at a meaningful conclusion as the reports were incomplete.

The board's chair said reports about the cardiac function test, genetic testing, bone marrow tests, PET scan and platelets were missing from the documents sent by the Sharif family. 

On Friday, January 31, Nawaz's physician had said that a "comprehensive" health report had been submitted to the Government of Punjab.

In a post on Twitter, Dr Adnan Khan had shared copies of his letter addressed to Punjab Home Department, stating that a "detailed conclusive medical letter was submitted earlier today". 

Dr Khan had claimed the letter was based "on latest medical reports, specialists’ opinions and future management plan".

According to the physician, the report "amply substantiates the seriousness of his multiple, complex ailments which require short, medium and long term treatment and aggressive continuous management".

Similar objections

Just a few days before Dr Khan's letter, the Punjab Home Department had directed Nawaz to submit updated medical reports to the department within three days. 

"Medical reports should be submitted so the concerned officials can check and verify them," a letter addressed to Nawaz had read.

"The reports submitted by the former premier earlier have been scrutinized already. A final decision regarding them is yet to be made because the documentation attached with the reports is incomplete," the home department had said.

"We request that the former premier submit the reports again with complete documentation. The personal physician of Sharif has also been notified about the matter via email," the department had said, noting that the updated report should include the platelet count of Sharif. 

'Maryam's presence needed'

Meanwhile, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the schedule for Nawaz's medical procedures had been changed twice owing to the absence of his daughter, Maryam Nawaz.

In a series of posts on Twitter, Shehbaz said the former prime minister’s health was still in an unstable condition.

“The procedure required for Nawaz’s treatment had to be changed twice because his daughter Maryam, who wanted to be with her father at that time, was not allowed to come from Pakistan,” Shehbaz said.

“Maryam should have been with Nawaz but she was not allowed to travel abroad to meet her ailing father,” Shehbaz said, adding Nawaz’s current health condition was critical owing to complex and deadly diseases faced by him.

'Maryam will not be allowed to leave'

Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday bunked Shehbaz's complaint, saying the federal cabinet would not allow Maryam to go abroad. 

Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad, he noted that Nawaz Sharif’s two sons and a daughter were already in London. “I believe the federal cabinet will not allow Maryam Nawaz to [also] go abroad,” he said.