By Akanimo Sampson
The government of Nigeria under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari might have okayed the foreign medical trip of the detained leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife following intense backstage pressure from a group of Muslim medical doctors.
The Shi’ites leader and his wife, Zeenat finally traveled out of the country on Monday. They reportedly departed Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, to India for medical treatment at about 6:30 pm Nigerian time, aboard a commercial airliner, Emirates.
They were moved from Kaduna, where they had been in government detention since December 2015, to Abuja on Sunday. Apart from some security personnel who accompanied them, family members were also on the trip.
The trip became possible as 186 Muslim doctors raised serious concern of the health of the Shi’ites leader, stressing the need for special medical care even in case of complete medical treatment. One of the doctors who signed a letter to President Buhari, Dr. Pourrahim Najafabadi, said “there is serious risk to Sheikh’s life if he is kept under detention.’’
Najafabadi, the founder and spokesperson of a group of expert physicians who volunteered to treat El-Zakzaky, pointed out that the Shi’ites leader needs to be cured by an experienced medical team of physicians in a specialised multi-specialty hospital outside Nigeria.
“With the current physical condition of the Sheikh, especially the virulent lead poisoning, Sheikh’s life is seriously at risk by delayed treatment,’’ he said.
The World Health Organisatio (WHO) says:
- Lead is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children.
- Lead in the body is distributed to the brain, liver, kidney and bones. It is stored in the teeth and bones, where it accumulates over time. Human exposure is usually assessed through the measurement of lead in blood.
- Lead in bone is released into blood during pregnancy and becomes a source of exposure to the developing fetus.
- There is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe.
- Lead exposure is preventable.
“Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal found in the Earth’s crust. Its widespread use has resulted in extensive environmental contamination, human exposure and significant public health problems in many parts of the world,’’ the global health body added, pointing out that important sources of environmental contamination include mining, smelting, manufacturing and recycling activities, and, in some countries, the continued use of leaded paint, leaded gasoline, and leaded aviation fuel.
According to WHO, “More than three quarters of global lead consumption is for the manufacture of lead-acid batteries for motor vehicles. Lead is, however, also used in many other products, for example pigments, paints, solder, stained glass, lead crystal glassware, ammunition, ceramic glazes, jewellery, toys and in some cosmetics and traditional medicines. Drinking water delivered through lead pipes or pipes joined with lead solder may contain lead. Much of the lead in global commerce is now obtained from recycling.’’
A virulent disease or poison is therefore, dangerous and spreads or affects people very quickly.
The concerned 186 doctors from Pakistan, India, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq warned President Buhari of El-Zakzaky’s physical conditions and asked his administration to transfer him to a well-equipped hospital as soon as possible.
The letter was published on Monday by Fars News, an Iranian news agency. The report did not indicate what date the letter was written by the doctors or whether it was written after a Kaduna High Court the previous week approved a leave for El-Zakzaky and his wife, to seek medicare in India.
The Department of State Services (DSS), the country’s secret police, had said after it was served with the court order that they will comply with it. El-Zakzaky has been in detention since 2015, following a clash between his Shi’ite adherents and the Nigerian military.
About 300 Shiite members including three of El-Zakzaky’s children were killed. Many were buried in a mass grave.
Behold, the full text of the letter to President Buhari:
“In the past several months, the world has constantly received troubling news regarding the health of one of the prominent figures in Nigeria, Shaikh Ibrahim Zakzaky. Both Skaikh Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife are kept in prison and the health status of both of them is very alarming.
“We have chosen to be doctors even after knowing that this job is very difficult and troublesome, but we chose to save people’s lives and preferred the health of the society over our personal interests.
“According to the medical reports regarding the health status of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky:
- He is suffering from a total blindness in the left eye, and is also suffering from vision problems in the right eye including glaucoma and progressive macular atrophy. According to the diagnosis of the visiting physicians, Shaikh Zakzaky will lose his vision sooner or later if the current circumstances do not change.
- He has shown symptoms of Ischemic heart disease which can lead to Myocardial Infraction.
- He is also suffering from severe cervical spondylosis which has resulted to nerve root compression and symptoms are progressive causing insomnia.
- The experiments show that he has heavy metal toxicity including Lead and Cadmium. Laboratory tests that are performed on May 31st, 2019 show that blood lead level is 171.94µg/dl. Later on June 18th, 2019 this level was reported to be 231.48µg while in the last laboratory test the blood lead level was three times more than the toxicity level (grade 5 of poisoning).
“Based on the points highlighted above, Shaikh Ibrahim Zakzaky should be transferred to a well- equipped medical center that has Neuro-ophthalmologist, glaucoma specialist and low vision expert, cardiologist, orthopedist and neurologist. Also he may need to have a surgery to reduce intraocular pressure.
“We, doctors of different nationalities cannot take the health of any human for granted. This is something that is inherent in our obligation as doctors. Ignoring the critical health status of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky can end up in irreparable consequences.
“We request the government and parliament of Nigeria to immediately transfer him to a well-equipped hospital to prevent any unfortunate incidents.
A group of doctors from Pakistan, India, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq
Dr Abbas alahmad, Pediatrician, Syria; Dr Abd alkrim Hariri, Neurosurgeon, Syria; Dr Abd almonaam hsanato, Radiologist, Syria; Dr Abdo salami, Dentist, Syria; Dr Addel maheiri, Maxillofacial Specialist, Syria; Dr Ahmad alrahal, Otorhinolaryngologist, Syria; Dr Ahmaad alzien, Thoracic Internist, Syria; Dr Ahmad nasrullah, Dentist, Syria; Dr Ajmal Farooq, General practitioner, India; Dr Alla Aldrin Hassan, Neurosurgeon, Syria; Dr Allaa allnassan, General Surgeon; Dr Amar kiali, Ophtalmologist, Syria; and Dr Anas hellali, General Surgeon, Syria.
The others are Dr Asma Khalid, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Bakri dablloni, Orthopedic Surgeon, Syria; Dr Bassel alshaher, Dentist, Syria; Dr Bsam kedeh, Gastroenterologist, Syria; Dr Fadi alaar, Vascular Surgeon, Syria; Dr Farhat, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Fizza Batool Zaidi, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Furqan Ali khan, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Hania Batool Zaidi, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Hassam Saleem, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Hassan alkhatib, Vascular Surgeon, Syria; Dr Hassan Khalil, Internist, Syria; Dr Houda abdalhadi, Internist, Syria; and Dr Ibrahim hadid, Urologist, Syria.
Also signatories are Dr Idrak Hussain Bhat, General practitioner, India; Dr Iftikar Hussain, General practitioner, India; Dr Kashaf Zehra Durrani, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Mamdoh zitoni, Orthopedic Surgeon, Syria; Dr Manaaf sharbjii, Orthopedic Surgeon, Syria; Dr Mhmmod Nasser, Gastroenterologist, Syri; Dr Mirza Arsalan, General practitioner, India; D.Mohamad mohiedin, Pediatrician, Syria; Dr Mohanad battal, Pediatric Surgeon, Syria; Dr mohanad naasan, General Surgeon, Syria; Dr Mohanad zanoube, Ophtalmologist, Syria; Dr Mohd Yaseen Mir, General practitioner, India; Dr Motaz alhmod, General Surgeon, Syria; Dr Muhammad Ajmal Hussain, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Muhammad Ali Kazmi, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Muhammad ali raseed, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Muhammad Amjad Hussain, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Muhammad Baqir, 4 year resident internal medicine, Pakistan; Dr Mouhamad batikh, General Surgeon, Syria; Dr Muhammad Farhan, General practitioner, Pakistan.
Dr Myllad zahlloq, Vascular Surgeon, Syria; Dr Ossama attar, General Surgeon, Syria; Dr Owais Raza General practioner (MBBS), Pakistan; Dr Owais Siddique, General practitioner, India; Dr Raja Munawa, General practitioner, India; Dr Saman Fatima, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Samer alhames, Thoracic Surgeon, Syria; Dr Samer sharbo, Vascular Surgeon, Syria; Dr Sami bitar, Nephrologist, Syria; Dr Saqib Hussain, General practitioner, India; Dr Sharaf ud deen, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Showkat Hussain Dar, General practitioner, India; Dr Shyar mostafa, Neurosurgeon, Syria; Dr Suhail Ahmad Mir, General practitioner, India; Dr Syed ali kuamil, General practitioner Pakistan; Dr Syed Muntazir Mousavi, General practitioner, India.
Dr Syed Wafadar Hussain Naqvi, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Syeada Maimoona Batool Rizvi, General practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Taher farfotli, Neurologist, Syria; Dr Tahssin hmidi, General Surgeon, Syria; Dr Waael akari, General Surgeon, Syria; Dr wisaam dieb, General Surgeon, Syria; Dr Yamen yousuf, Neurosurgeon, Syria; Dr Yassin alrahal, Orthopedic Surgeon, Syria; Dr Yousef sabsabi, Orthopedic Surgeon, Syria; Dr Zaher and allaziz, Vascular Surgeon, Syria; Dr Zaher batal, Nutritionist, Syria; Dr Zaid Jeelani, General practitioner, India; Dr Zeeshan Hadier, Liver transplant surgeon, Pakistan; Dr Arezoo Mohtasham, Radiology Resident, Iran; Dr Azadeh Hashemi, Radiology Resident, Afghanistan.
Dr Abolfazl Mohammadi, Orthopedic Surgeon, Iran; Dr Amanollah Karami, Ophtalmologist, Iran; Dr Amir Rahmanian, Emergency Medicine Resident, Iran; Dr Amirhossein Izadyar, General PractitionePractitioner, Iran; Dr Aniseh Aliabadi, Dermatology Resident, Iran; Dr Hamed Abdi, Internist, Iran; Dr Hojjat Madarshahi, otorhinolaryngologist, Iran; Dr Hasan Boskabadi, Pediatrician and Neonatal Specialist, Iran; Dr Hasan Rajabi, Iran; Dr Hasan Sezavar, Iran; Dr Hossein Amirzargir, Urolohist, Iran; Dr Hossein Mohaddes Ardebili, Psychiatric Resident, Iran; Dr Hamidreza Safaei, Radiology Resident, Iran; Dr Hourieh Soleimani, Radiology Resident, Iran; Dr Rahil Daghmagh, General Practitioner, Lebanon.
Dr Rose sadat Shamsa, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Reyhaneh Aminorroaya, Elderly Medicine Specialist, Iran; Dr Zahra Behnam Rasouli, Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident, Iran; Dr Zahra Jafar, General Practitioner, Lebanon; Dr Zahra Joshaghani, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Iran; Dr Zahra Khalili Matinzadeh, Pediatrician, Iran; Dr Zahra Movahedinia, General practitioner, Iran; Dr Zahra Moaddab Shoar, Dentist, Iran; Dr Zeinab Babasafari, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Sajedeh Mousavi, Physical Medicine Resident, Iran; Dr Saiedeh Khatami, Dentist, Iran; Dr Soleiman Heidari, Toracic Surgeon, Iran; Dr Samaneh Rahmani, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Seyed Javad Hosseininezhad, Neurologist, Iran.
Dr Syed Zaker Hossein Naqvi, General Practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Syed Omran Hyder Zeidi, General Practitioner, Pakistan; Dr Seyed Mohammadreza Parizadeh, Biochemistry Ph.D, Iran; Dr Seyed Mohammadsadegh Mirzaei, general Practitioner, Iran; Dr Seyed Moadkazem Mozaffari, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Seyed Naser Emadi, International Dermatologist, Iran; Dr Seyedeh Afsar Sharafi, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Iran; Dr Seyedeh Zeinab Hashemi Javaheri, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Saeb Aliabadi, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Seddigheh Ayati, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Iran; Dr Tahereh Labbaf, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Iran; Dr Arefeh Edalatian, Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident, Iran; Dr Atefeh Kermanshahi, General Practitioner, Iran.
Dr Abbas Shojaei, Otorhinolaryngologist, Iran; Dr Azra Rashidnezhad, Neurology Resident, Iran; Dr Afraalshahrstani, Pediatric Resident, Iraq; Dr Atieh Mohebbi, Radiology Resident, Iran; Dr Atieh Mohammadzadeh Vatanchi, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Iran; Dr Ali Ebrahimzadeh, Iran; Dr Ali Anjomshoa, Anesthesiologist, Iran; Dr Ali Taghiparvar, Epidemiologist, Iran; Dr Ali Rezazadeh, Internist, Iran; Dr Ali Fazli, Anesthesiologist, Iran; Dr Ali Madarshahi, Internal Surgeon, Iran; Dr Fatemeh Ouchi Ardebili, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Fatemeh Taghizadeh, Physical Medicine Resident, Iran; Dr Fatemeh Joshaghani, Dentist, Iran; Dr Fatemeh Dadelahi, Radiology Resident, Iran; Dr Fatemeh Mehrparvar, Dentist-Iran, Dr. Fouzieh Takhari, Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident, Afghanistan; Dr Ghasem Amini, Surgery Resident, Iran; Dr Kamal Heydari, Dentist, Iran; Dr Leila Moaddab Shoar, Radiotherapy and Oncology Specialist, Iran; Dr Majid Habibzadeh Moghaddam, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Majid Abdollahi, Emergency Medicine Specialist, Iran; Dr Majid Ghayour Mobarhen, Nutritionist, Iran; Dr Mohammad Ebrahimi, Iran; Dr Mohammad Sajjadi, Psychiatrist, Iran; Dr; Mohammad Sadeghi, Iran; Dr Mohammadtaghi Rajabi Mashhadi, Surgeon, Iran; Dr MohammadJafar Modabber Azizi, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Mohammadreza Behrouz, Iran; Dr Mohammadreza Javdani, Family Medicine Resident, Iran; Dr Mohammadali Kiani, Gastroenterologist-Iran, Dr Mahmoud Jozhaghani, Cornea Specialist, Iran; Dr Mahmoud Fatemi, Radiology Resident, Iran; Dr Mahya Yargholi, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Iran; Dr Morteza Amiri Soleimani, Orthopedic Surgeon, Iran; Dr Morteza Tajaddodi, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Maryam Sadat Paknezhad, Iranian Traditional Medicine Specialist, Iran; Dr Maryam Rezaeian, Dentist, Afghanistan; Dr Maryam Yargholi, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Iran; Dr Mozhgan Mahmoudian, Radiology Resident, Iran; Dr Masoud Maleki, Dermatologist, Iran; Dr Masoud Mahdavi, Radiologist, Iran;Dr Mostafa Jafari, Internist, Iran, Dr Malihe Akbari, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Malihe Hatefipour, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Mahdi Oughli, Internist, Iran; Dr Mahdi Mokhtari, Ophtalmologist, Iran; Dr Mahdieh Pouryazdanpanah, Nutritionist, Iran; Dr Mahdi Miri, Internist, Iran; Dr Mahsa Kia, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Milad Hadadi, Dentist, Iran; Dr Najmeh Khodadadi, Iran; Dr Najmeh Zamani, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Narjes Khatoun Movahedi Rad, General Practitioner, Iran; De Narges Salehi, Cardiologist, Iran; Dr Narges Arabzadeh, Internist, Iran; Dr Nasrollah Hamraz, Internist, Afghanistan; Dr Nafiseh Kazemi Rad, Radiology Resident, Iran; Dr Nafiseh Aliabadi, Pediatric Resident, Iran; Dr Nayerreh Khadem Ghayebi, Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist, Iran; Dr Hadi Hasanzadeh, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Hadi Sherouni, Otorhinolaryngologist, Iran; Dr Hadi Jalali, General Practitioner, Iran; Dr Rezaei, Interventional Cardiologist-Afghanistan
