Imran Khan Shows Vision Improvement Post Injection at PIMS

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has seen marked improvement in his vision following his second dose of intravitreal anti-VEGF injection at Adiala Jail. The former prime minister, who is serving a £190 million corruption case, was transferred from Rawalpindi’s Shifa International Hospital to the jail for further medical care earlier this year.

The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) announced that his vision had improved significantly following the treatment on Tuesday. Imran has been in custody since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail, where he faces additional trials related to anti-terrorism charges stemming from protests held on May 9, 2023.

PTI immediately dismissed PIMS’s statement, arguing that the medical examination was conducted without Imran’s personal physicians or immediate family present. This they claimed lacked transparency and credibility. The party has been vocal about concerns regarding his health and access to independent medical care for months now.

For weeks, PTI had pressed for Khan’s release, highlighting a report submitted to the Supreme Court that indicated his vision in one eye had dropped to 15 percent. Government officials defended their decision by stating he was receiving appropriate medical attention at Adiala Jail.

A press statement from PIMS confirmed an examination of Imran’s eyes conducted by Dr Nadeem Qureshi and Professor Dr Arif Khan, the head of the Ophthalmology Department at PIMS. The comprehensive tests included visual acuity checks, fundoscopy, slit-lamp examinations, and optical coherence tomography.

The medical board issued recommendations for further care, advising Khan to continue his previously planned treatment regimen while noting no recommendation was made regarding hospital transfer. PTI immediately rejected the statement, stressing the importance of having Imran’s personal physicians and family present during any medical examination.

PTI reiterated its demand that Khan be examined in the presence of his personal physicians and immediate family members without further delay. The party maintained that it had only deepened public concern by insisting on independent evaluations for Khan’s health.

In a previous report, a medical board found improvement in Imran’s eyesight after he received an anti-VEGF injection at Shifa International Hospital. According to the updated findings, his vision improved from 6/36 to 6/9 in his right eye, while his left eye retained 6/6 vision with glasses.

The board reported that there was mild intragel haemorrhage on the edge of Imran’s right eye and moderate retinal haemorrhages across all four quadrants. The macula in his right eye showed swelling subsiding with a reduction in macular thickness from 550 to 350 microns.

PTI has raised serious concerns about the handling of Khan’s health, arguing that the refusal to grant independent medical access is undermining public trust and obscuring the true state of Imran’s condition.