The wilful negligence of the government medical team formed by the ousted Sheikh Hasina regime was behind liver cirrhosis and other diseases of late BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, which finally took her life, says Prof Dr FM Siddiqui.
Siddiqui, the chief of Khaleda's medical team formed in 2021 after she was admitted to Evercare Hospital Dhaka with Covid-19, said this while addressing a condolence meeting held in memory of Khaleda at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the capital on Friday.
Before her last breath, Khaleda struggled and endured severe physical pains because of the diseases developed due to doctors' wilful negligence, he said.
Siddiqui, who was involved in her treatment for about 12 years, said they found after analysing the medical report that she had developed a serious liver cirrhosis condition when she came to receive treatment for Covid-19.
The government medical team was treating her in jail during the Awami League government, giving her a medicine for arthritis. But this particular medicine (methotrexate) required regular follow-up to see if it was affecting the liver or not, he said.
Her liver by that time got damaged. However, not a single ultrasonogram was conducted, which was surprising, he continued.
Khaleda continued to demand including her preferred physicians in the government team, but the request was denied, he said.
More shockingly, the report that the then Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) forwarded to the court had not even mentioned her liver disease, he also said.
"The government medical team willingly or under pressure hid her real medical condition. The medicine Khaleda was provided for her arthritis actually acted as slow poison that finally pushed her to death," he said.
Siddiqui also questioned whether the intentional hiding of her medical report was an attempt to kill her.
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