Khaleda Zia's Physician Advocates for Advanced Overseas Treatment for Liver Disease

BNP vice chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, who is also the personal physician to party chairperson Khaleda Zia, is urging for advanced overseas treatment for Zia's chronic liver disease. He made the plea to journalists late on Saturday outside Zia's residence in Gulshan.

According to Dr Zahid, the medical team treating Zia had continuously pressed authorities to facilitate her relocation to a foreign country for specialized care. His emphasis was on a medical centre furnished with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) facilities.

Zia, a former prime minister, returned to her residence at approximately 7:50pm on Saturday, after spending five days at the Evercare Hospital in Bashundhara. Her physician confirmed that further treatment would be administered at home, with the results of additional tests conducted on Saturday showing signs of improvement.

Dr Zahid stated that Zia's health had sufficiently improved for her to continue receiving treatment at home under the care of her medical board. Zia, who suffers from a myriad of health conditions including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and kidney, lung, heart and eye complications, has been under hospital treatment since her conditional release from prison in 2020.

In June last year, Zia suffered a heart attack due to a 95% blockage in her left artery. She was treated at the same hospital, where a stent was placed after removing the blockage. Two additional blockages were discovered but couldn't be removed due to her health complications.

Zia was incarcerated in the Old Dhaka Central Jail in 2018 after being found guilty in two corruption cases. She was granted temporary release from jail during the Covid pandemic on March 25, 2020, under the condition that she remain in her Gulshan residence and not leave the country.