Khaleda Zia returns home after three months
Doctor said her medical board was concerned over Covid infection risks at hospital
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia returned from hospital to her Gulshan residence "Firoza" on Tuesday after nearly three months.
The 76-year-old BNP chief left Dhaka's Evercare Hospital at around 7:30pm upon the decision of her medical board amid the rise of Covid infections.
On 13 November 2021, Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital with liver cirrhosis and had been at the Critical Care Unit (CCU). She was taken to the cabin on 9 January as her physical condition improved.
At a press conference at the hospital on Tuesday evening, Khaleda's doctor Professor Fakhruddin Mohammad Siddiqui said,
"Khaleda Zia is stable now but it cannot be guaranteed that she will not have internal bleeding again in future."
"The infection curve is upward again. In January alone, 360 staff of Evercare were infected with Covid. So, we are considering her health risks."
"Since her condition is now stable, we need to continue her treatment at home. That is why the medical board has decided to lease her from the hospital," Professor Fakhruddin said.
Replying to a question, the doctor said, "She [Khaleda Zia] is not having major bleeding right now. We have been able to stop the bleeding temporarily. However, nothing can be said for certain in medical science.
"It may be possible to provide temporary technical support at home. Besides, as the number of Covid patients has increased in the hospital, I think it is safer to keep her at home for now."
The physician said if any situation arises, they are ready to receive her at the hospital again.
After being convicted in a graft case, the former prime minister landed in jail in February 2018. Following the outbreak of Covid-19, the government granted her temporary release on conditions on 25 March 2020 at the request of her family.
Her family and BNP have been vocal since then to allow Khaleda to avail treatment abroad. But the government says she cannot leave the country as per the conditions of the temporary release.
The BNP chief has been suffering from arthritis, diabetes and several eye issues for many years. She got infected with coronavirus in
April 2021 while staying at her Gulshan residence.
On 27 April 2021, she was admitted to Evercare Hospital owing to post-Covid complications. She then had been in the critical care unit (CCU) for about two months.
In the third week of June 2021, she was discharged, and then got admitted to the hospital again after around four months.
