The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

A high level meeting on Hasina's health condition decided to admit her in a local hospital of her choice, sources said yesterday.

The meeting was presided over by Maj. Gen (Retd) MA Matin, Adviser for Home Affairs.

In view of this the jail authorities have requested detained ex-premier Sheikh Hasina to get admitted to hospital on recommendations of specialist physicians who examined her at makeshift prison in the last few days.

Hasina has been suffering from multiple health complications, including serious problems in her ears and eyes.

Talking to reporters, IG (Prisons) Brig Gen Zakir Hassan said the jail authorities have requested her to consider the doctors' advice for being admitted to hospital. He said further decisions regarding her treatment could be taken after conducting necessary tests at hospital.

"We hope the former Prime Minister will consider the proposal," he told the reporters.

The IG (Prisons) would not say at this stage whether she would be sent abroad for treatment of her ears badly damaged in grenade blasts at her rally on August 21, 2004.

Meanwhile, Lions Kabir Hossain, uncle of Sheikh Hasian, yesterday sent letters to the President and the Chief Adviser to take necessary actions for the treatment of Hasina abroad on humanitarian grounds.

"I believe they are the persons who can solve the problems of sending Hasina abroad for treatment by removing any legal complexity," he told media personnel.

Sheikh Hasina yesterday declined to get admitted into any hospital in the country despite jail authority's request.

"Sheikh Hasina is not interested to get admitted to hospital," her personal doc and medicine specialist Prof ABM Abdullah told reporters outside the makeshift jail after examining the ailing Awami League chief's latest health conditions.

Inspector General (IG-Prisons) Brig Gen Zakir Hassan told reporters at the Home Ministry yesterday that the jail authorities requested Sheikh

Hasina to get admitted to a hospital, but she replied that she was considering their proposals.

The request from the government side came following repeated medical checkup of her health conditions by her personal physicians for the last few days. The physicians advised her critical ear treatment in the United States. The jail authorities, however, prefer to get her admitted into a local hospital first.

Eye-specialist Dr Modasser Ali, who examined Hasina Sunday, said allergy on her skin further aggravated, and for that, her eye corners darkened. He noted that Hasina is not confident of taking medicare inside the country and so she should be sent abroad "immediately".

E.N.T specialist Dr. Pran Gopal Dutta said he recommended the jail authorities for sending Sheikh Hasina to the USA on an emergency basis, failing which she could lose her hearing.

Earlier, the physicians had recommended her to get admitted to hospital, as she needs some tests.

Dr. Abdullah alleged that tests that were recommended by her seven personal physicians to ascertain her overall health conditions were not conducted.

"We, the seven physicians of the former Prime Minister, applied to the jail authority to check up Hasina by forming a medical board, but the government didn't give us permission," he said.

Abdullah went to the makeshift jail on the primnes of the parliament-building complex at about 9:45 am and stayed there for nearly two hours examining her health.

He said her ear treatment is only possible in the USA and she should be sent over there for her ear treatment. "I have seen the device of her ears…It is highly technical," the doctor said, adding that for the sake of dealing with this hearing aid Hasina should go to America.

Abdullah said her blood pressure is now under control and her allergy subsiding, but conditions of her ears and eyes still remained unchanged.

"My stomach has now been changed into a pharmacy for last three months as I am taking so much of medicine," Prof Abdullah quoted Hasina as saying.

The ex-PM was arrested on July 16 last year in connection with an extortion case under the current purge in the interim period. She has been suffering from multiple health complications, including acute problems in her ears and eyes.

Hasina's personal doctors several times have recommended forming a multidisciplinary medical board for her immediate treatment as she developed multiple complications.