Former PM on Full Ventilator as Multi-Organ Failure Deepens, Doctors Warn of Critical Phase
Ex-PM’s organs failing as doctors issue rare public bulletin.
Bangladesh’s Former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, 80, was rushed onto full mechanical ventilator support at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka after sudden respiratory collapse, marking the most critical phase of her three-week hospitalisation that began on November 23. The medical board headed by cardiologist Professor Shahabuddin Talukdar revealed that her oxygen levels plummeted while carbon dioxide surged dangerously despite maximum High Flow Nasal Cannula and BiPAP assistance, leaving doctors no choice but to intubate and ventilate her electively to prevent total lung failure and give her exhausted heart, kidneys, and other organs a chance to recover.
Zia is now battling complete renal shutdown requiring daily dialysis sessions, confirmed infective endocarditis affecting the aortic valve, acute pancreatitis diagnosed on November 27, persistent high-grade fever, and overwhelming systemic infections that have necessitated the strongest intravenous antibiotics and antifungal agents available.
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Multiple blood transfusions are being administered as her condition remains unstable, with a multidisciplinary team of Bangladeshi and foreign specialists maintaining constant vigil in the coronary care unit. For the first time since admission, the medical board issued a detailed public statement acknowledging the gravity of her multi-organ crisis.
A long-planned medical evacuation to London was abruptly cancelled last week when the specialised air ambulance promised by Qatar failed to reach Dhaka on schedule. Physicians later judged her too fragile for transfer, deciding that any movement could prove fatal until her vital parameters show sustained improvement. The board pleaded with the nation to refrain from speculation and respect the privacy of Bangladesh’s longest-serving former leader as she fights for survival.
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