Pims says Imran’s vision has improved ‘remarkably’ as he undergoes another checkup

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) said on Tuesday night that PTI founder Imran Khan was examined at Adiala jail for the follow-up treatment of his eye ailment, which showed that his vision had “improved remarkably”.

However, the party asserted that any medical examination carried out without the presence of Imran’s personal physicians and his immediate family lacked “transparency and credibility”.

In a press release, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the Pims administration said that Imran was examined by a medical board comprising Dr Nadeem Qureshi, the head of the vitreoretinal department at Al–Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi, and Dr M Arif Khan, the head of the ophthalmology department at Pims, Islamabad.

The same team had examined Imran last month in Adiala jail, where the former premier is incarcerated.

“This examination was performed as a follow-up of his second dose of intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF,” the press release said.

According to the American Academy of Opthalmology, an anti-VGEF treatment reduces leaking abnormal blood vessels in the retina. This slows or stops damage from the abnormal blood vessels and slows down vision loss and may also improve vision.

The Pims press release said that during the examination, both of Imran’s eyes were examined for visual acuity, adding that doctors also conducted fundoscopy, slit lamp examination, and optical coherence tomography.

“The board concluded that his vision has improved remarkably, which is substantially good vision at this stage. The board recommended instructions for further care and treatment advice as previously planned,” it said.

Meanwhile, the PTI said it “categorically rejected” the press release issued by Pims.

“Any medical examination conducted without the presence of his personal physicians and his immediate family lacks transparency and credibility,” it said.

The party said that for months, serious concerns had been raised regarding PTI founder’s health, access to independent medical care and the denial of family-supervised evaluations.

“PTI reiterates its clear and non-negotiable demand that Imran Khan must be immediately examined in the presence of his personal physicians and his family members,” it stated.

“As per the wishes of his family, he must be shifted without delay to Shifa International Hospital for independent, transparent and comprehensive medical evaluation and treatment,” it said.

“Nothing short of this will be acceptable,” it added.

“The continued refusal to allow independent medical access only deepens public concern and raises serious questions. The health and well-being of Imran Khan cannot and will not be compromised,” it concluded.

Imran’s eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January. His first medical procedure, which was carried out on January 24, was confirmed by the government five days after reports surfaced about it in the media.

Subsequently, Imran’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, told the Supreme Court that the former premier had lost a significant amount of vision in his right eye while in custody.

A five-member team had initially examined Imran at Adiala jail on Feb 15. On Feb 24, Imran was brought to Pims for a follow-up. According to a Pims doctor, Imran was brought to the hospital for a second dose of anti-VEGF intravitreal injection.

The government and the opposition have been engaged in a blame game, with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency on the matter, of not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran, and of not allowing his personal physicians access to him. The government denies these allegations.

It should also be mentioned that 14 former international cricket captains, including Indian cricket greats Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, last month demanded better prison treatment for Imran, “one of the finest all-rounders” of the game.