Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived here in London around two weeks ago for essential medical treatment. He has attended six medical appointments at the Harley Street Clinic, London Bridge Hospital, Guy’s Hospital and at a private hospital known for private cardiac treatment. A Swiss doctor, known as a leading heart authority who has previously seen Nawaz Sharif, visited Sharif at his home. Nawaz Sharif is getting regular therapy sessions at home when he doesn’t have a medical appointment. The family has hired services of a private therapy clinic on Harley Street.

Nawaz Sharif is constantly accompanied by his physician Dr Adnan Khan. Shahbaz Sharif, the leader of opposition in the National Assembly, lives nearby and accompanies his brother to all clinical appointments.Since his arrival in London, the family has said that their only priority at this point is Nawaz’s return to health. Hussain Nawaz has said that he would address concerns about his father having been poisoned during his jail term in Pakistan once he has seen the medical reports. The tests are in progress.

Nawaz Sharif has been getting treatment since his arrival in the UK. Medical treatment in Britain is typically a long and deliberate process which is not rushed under any circumstances. All doctors operating in the United Kingdom are required under the guidelines of National Health Service (NHS) to carry out medical checkups, taking into account everything, and follow proper roadmaps for treatment in the most diligent manner, without rushing to conclusions.

Nawaz Sharif is getting expensive private medical treatment. His sons are paying huge bills for it. At the NHS facilities, the queue for patients is sometimes up to six months long; waiting time for even a blood test can be two weeks to a month.

Dr Malik, who famously treated an APS terror attack victim at the Harley Street Clinic and counts among his clients leading Pakistani business magnates, says that it looks likely that doctors will go for a long-haul treatment of Nawaz Sharif, looking at a whole range of issues and treatment of those  issues.

Renowned Harley Street physician, Dr Irfan Malik tells TNS that doctors in the UK will follow the NHS guidelines to first determine the reasons and why Nawaz’s platelet count had dropped to a low level repeatedly. They will be treating the ailment as well.Given the kind of serious ailment Nawaz is suffering from, it looks like a minimum of around five months are required for a thorough checkup and treatment.

Dr Malik, who famously treated an APS terror attack victim at the Harley Street Clinic and counts among his clients leading Pakistani business magnates, says that it looks likely that doctors will go for a long-haul treatment of Nawaz Sharif, looking at a whole range of issues and treatment of those issues.

From a neutral perspective, Dr Malik says, the full range of treatment will include strengthening the immune system, stabilising it and then going for heavy operations and treatments.

“Details of patients are kept confidential in the UK and no details of treatment, ailment and medical reports will be released by any clinic. Any clinic found releasing such information will be violating guidelines of the General Medical Council (GMC). There are serious consequences to doing that,” he says when asked if it was possible to access the medical records of Nawaz Sharif.

He adds: “Only the patient or anyone he/she authorizes can release these reports. No medical body will do that. There are strict privacy rules.”

Dr Adnan Khan says that doctors want to end the heavy doses of medicines that Nawaz is being given and as soon as the steroids’ side effects diminish, doctors will start a diagnosis of his bone marrow.

He says he is monitoring Nawaz’s sugar, blood pressure and heartbeat on a regular basis. He adds he is being treated at his home in order to curtail the risk of infection.

Its understood that Nawaz Sharif will be hospitalised in the coming days to undergo a test which will be followed by a heart procedure but a decision on that will be taken early next week. Professor Simon Redwood of London Bridge Hospital has done a detailed examination of Nawaz Sharif’s history of carotid artery disease. He feels that Mr Sharif needs to be hospitalised to go through an angiogram.

Nawaz Sharif’s son Hussain told TNS that that there were so far no signs of improvement in the former prime minister’s health.

Hussain says that he wishes his father to be treated under one roof. “Have advised my father numerous times to go to the US for treatment. We don’t see any signs of improvement in his health. Diagnosis of the bone marrow is a very sensitive issue, I would like the nation to pray for my father.

The former prime minister was allowed to go abroad for medical treatment after the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the federal government to remove Nawaz’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL). Prime Minister Imran Khan had initially said that he was allowing Nawaz Sharif to go abroad and later criticized the decision.

Sources have told TNS that during his stay in London, the former PM will not make any media statements and will not participate in politics. He has been doorstepped by media at his home and at the hospitals but he has refused to answer any questions, merely smiling when making eye contact with mediapersons.

The writer reports for Geo News and Jang Group of Newspapers from London.

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