Khaleda with Covid: CT scan tells she is in good shape
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who tested positive for Covid-19 on April 10, was taken to the capital's Evercare Hospital last night for a CT scan.
After the report showed that her lungs were in a good condition, she was taken back to her home in Gulshan, her doctors told reporters.
Earlier in the evening, Khaleda's physicians said the 75-year-old had a mild fever and her condition was stable. The decision on admitting her to the private hospital in Baridhara would depend on her CT scan report, they added.
"She is entering the second week today [Thursday] after being tested for Covid-19," FM Siddiqi, head of the former prime minister's personal medical team, told reporters after visiting the BNP chief at her residence.
Khaleda Zia's swab was collected for a Covid-19 test on April 9 and the report came positive the following day.
"… Complications usually appear in the second week of being infected. That's why we want to be a little more careful," Siddiqi said.
About Khaleda's physical condition, FM Siddiqi said, "She is fine. The CT scan has not been done. We've decided to get the CT scan done … She is doing quite well in all other aspects like biochemical parameters, physical status, oxygen saturation, appetite, pulse and blood circulation.
He, however, said, "You can never predict the condition of a patient with Covid-19 … ."
Dr Siddiqi also said her blood sugar level was now under control. "We are monitoring the blood sugar three times a day. Accordingly, we are trying to control her blood sugar level with tablets and insulin. She is undergoing physiotherapy for arthritis and all other necessary treatments."
"Her mental condition is fine as she remains pretty stable mentally. She is quite okay."
Dr Siddiqi said they were also keeping in touch with Khaleda Zia's daughter-in-law Dr Zobaida Rahman, who has been in London since 2008 with her husband Tarique Rahman, and specialist doctors in the United States and the United Kingdom. Besides Khaleda, all nine employees of her residence at Gulshan were also infected with Covid-19.
Meanwhile, party sources said while Khaleda was being taken to the Evercare Hospital for the CT scan, preparation was taken to admit her there in case the report showed that her lungs were not in a good shape.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year.
She was released from the prison cell at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) the same day, and has been staying at her Gulshan house since.
On August 27 last year, the government extended her release for six more months and it was extended again for six months on March 15 this year.
On February 8, 2018, Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail after a court sentenced her to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. The High Court later doubled her jail term.
Khaleda was found guilty in another corruption case the same year. Her party claims both the cases are politically motivated.
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