PTI demands Imran Khan's CT angiography at Shifa International Hospital

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has strongly condemned authorities for allegedly failing to conduct a recommended CT angiography (CTA) on its jailed founder, Imran Khan. The party is demanding that the procedure be immediately performed at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.

“

continued failure to carry out the procedure and demanded that it be immediately conducted at Shifa International Hospital.

Reports indicate that during a hospital visit on Friday for an eye procedure and other tests at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), doctors recommended a CTA of the heart. However, hospital staff reportedly stated the facility was unavailable. Khan was subsequently returned to Adiala jail without undergoing the test, which is crucial for identifying coronary blockages and assessing heart attack risks.

Sources within Pims clarified that the facility for CTA is different from conventional angiography and that a 128-slice CT scanner capable of performing CTA has been operational since March 2022. Doctors suggested the patient should have been referred to the radiology department for the test.

“

Even the government’s own doctors considered this diagnostic test necessary.

In response to the reports, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established an inquiry committee, headed by the establishment division secretary, to investigate the matter. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram reiterated the party's demand, citing court directives and medical reports. He highlighted that a government medical board had examined Khan on August 10, and a Pims cardiologist had recommended the CTA on August 1 due to fluctuating blood pressure, palpitations, and other symptoms, deeming the test necessary given Khan's age and prolonged isolation.

“

Yet, when Imran Khan was taken to Pims, the procedure was not performed. Hospital officials claimed that the required facility was unavailable, despite the presence of a functional CT scanner in the radiology department capable of conducting the test.

Akram expressed intensified concerns regarding the repeated delays and apparent negligence in providing Khan with timely and appropriate medical care, calling the situation unacceptable for a former prime minister.

“

intensified concerns regarding repeated delays and apparent negligence in providing Imran Khan with timely and appropriate medical care.