Khaleda Zia's surgery a success: BNP

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia underwent a surgery today at the capital's Evercare Hospital.

"Her surgery was successfully completed at 7:45pm. After a three-hour surgery, she was taken to the CCU," BNP Health Affairs Secretary Dr Rafiqul Islam said.

He said Khaleda was taken to the operating theatre for surgery earlier today. "The three-hour surgery ended successfully. She will be under observation for 24 hours."

He also said the doctors from the USA performed the surgery on the BNP chairperson.

Three specialist doctors who came from the US visited Khaleda Zia and assessed her health and reports at Evercare Hospital on Thursday, reports UNB.

The US doctors – Hamid Rabb, Christos Georgiades and James PA Hamilton from Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine – went to the hospital around 1:30pm and had a meeting with the BNP chief's medical board members, said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan.

Quoting Khaleda's personal physician Professor AZM Zahid Hossain, he said the three physicians also reviewed the reports of various medical tests on the BNP chief and visited her at her cabin.

Sayrul said the US doctors discussed with the medical board about Khaleda's next course of treatment.

Dr Rabb and Dr Hamilton arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday while Dr Georgiades arrived yesterday.

BNP chairperson's family brought the three doctors – who are experts in nephrology, hepatology, international radiology and liver-kidney transplant – from the USA after a discussion with the medical board at the Evercare Hospital. They manage patients with Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt or liver cirrhosis.

Khaleda Zia has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital since 9 August.

The 78-year-old former prime minister has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems.

On 9 October, the BNP chief's medical board at Evercare Hospital recommended that she be urgently sent to a multidisciplinary centre abroad soon as there are now no treatment options available for her in Bangladesh.

Speaking at a press conference at the hospital, the board also said the former prime minister's life is at risk because of a lack of proper treatment to stop water accretion in her stomach and chest, internal bleeding and infections caused by her liver cirrhosis problem.