Photo: Collected
Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan is being treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, known as PIMS hospital. Authorities claim he was taken there from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on the night between 10 and 11 November for a health check-up and follow-up eye treatment.
A statement from the PIMS authorities said Imran Khan’s health was examined, including an eye examination, under the guidance of an ophthalmologist. His condition was stable. Nothing abnormal was found in a general physical examination either.
The hospital further said that, with the patient’s consent and following precautionary measures and proper medical protocols, a team of ophthalmologists gave him an intravitreal anti-VEGF injection in the eye. According to medical experts, this injection is generally used to treat certain diseases related to the retina and eyesight.
The statement did not give details of the diagnosis. However, Imran Khan has been given this injection several times before. According to the statement, he was discharged at around 2:30am. Necessary instructions for subsequent care and follow-up treatment were also given at that time.
According to a PIMS official, Imran Khan was kept at the hospital for about one and a half hours. After the health check-up was over, he was taken back to Adiala jail.
After this latest information came from the government, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) expressed concern over his health and medical facilities.
The party’s statement said, ‘No human being’s health can be used as a tool for political bargaining, and the treatment of a former prime minister cannot be limited to a mere formal process.’
PTI has again raised the demand that Imran Khan’s family members, personal physicians and legal team be given ‘immediate and unhindered’ access to him.
The Pakistani government, however, has repeatedly claimed that the former prime minister, who suffers from central retinal vein occlusion in his right eye, has been given the best medical care in jail and that there has been no shortfall in his treatment.
This report tries to explain what the ‘intravitreal anti-VEGF’ injection given in Imran Khan’s eye actually is, and how it is administered to a patient.
What is central retinal vein occlusion?
The government and Imran Khan’s lawyers say the eyesight in his right eye has been damaged because of central retinal vein occlusion.
The website of the NHS, the UK’s public health body, says retinal vein occlusion, a blockage in the veins of the retina, is a common cause of loss of vision in older people. It can cause blood to clot there and disrupt the blood supply.
The thin layer behind the dark part of the eye, or pupil, is called the retina. It works like the film in an old camera.
If a vein here becomes blocked, blood or other fluid can leak into the retina. This can cause damage, swelling or a lack of oxygen.
As a result, the functioning of the eye’s light-receiving cells is disrupted. Eyesight also becomes weaker.
The NHS says the disease is relatively uncommon among people under 60.
There are two types of retinal vein occlusion. One of them is central retinal vein occlusion, in which the blockage occurs in the main vein. According to the NHS, eyesight is quite severely affected in this condition.
Ophthalmologist Dr Hira Awais told BBC Urdu that the disease can manifest differently in different people. What the symptoms and effects will be depends on the state of the patient’s eyesight.
She said that when a blood vessel becomes blocked, many patients show signs of bleeding in various parts of the retina.
Sometimes at this stage the eyesight is so damaged that the patient cannot even see light. Others, meanwhile, retain relatively good vision.
Dr Hira explained that the more the eyesight is damaged when the disease is first detected, the lower the chance of recovering it later, generally.
Injection-based treatment
Intravitreal anti-VEGF injections are used to treat this disease. According to the NHS’s explanation, the injection is given into the jelly-like substance inside the eye called the vitreous. This method allows the medicine to be delivered directly to where it is needed.
Retinal cells produce a protein called VEGF. The NHS says the injection blocks the action of this protein. As a result, the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the inner layers of the eye and leakage of fluid from them are limited.
The aim of this treatment is to help prevent eyesight from getting worse. Dr Hira said there are different types of injections that can be given in the eye for this disease.
In her words, ‘Various types of anti-VEGF medicines in particular are available. Some patients have to take this injection on a monthly basis and are examined every month to see whether more injections are needed.’
‘Various tests are done for this, of which OCT is an important one. Through this test, the thickness of the retina and the level of fluid accumulated in the eye or swelling are assessed.
If the injection produces clear improvement but swelling still remains and further treatment is needed, the patient is given this injection again and it is repeated on a monthly basis as required.’
She further said, ‘For some injections we assess the results after 60 days, while for some injections the patient is kept on monthly follow-up.’
‘These injections have two major benefits. First, they reduce the fluid or water accumulated in the eye, which reduces swelling of the retina. Second, they help prevent complications caused by ischaemia.’
The disruption of blood supply due to the blockage of blood vessels is called ischaemia. When less blood reaches the retina, less oxygen also reaches it.
When there is a shortage of oxygen, the retina tries to create new blood vessels to continue its work.
According to Dr Hira, the formation of new blood vessels in this way is not a good thing. They are usually very weak and can bleed at any time.
They can also cause further problems by creating traction on the retina.
She said this is why injections are given in the eye: on the one hand to stop the growth of abnormal new blood vessels, and on the other to reduce swelling of the retina.
Keeping these two problems under control is extremely important for protecting and improving eyesight.
How is this injection given to a patient?
The NHS says anti-VEGF medicine is given by injection into the vitreous, meaning the jelly-like substance inside the eye.
According to information on the body’s website, the whole treatment process takes about 15 minutes to complete.
In the NHS’s words, ‘The injection takes only a few seconds and usually causes very little pain.’
Describing the process, the NHS said that after the patient is seated or laid in a comfortable semi-reclined position, a few drops are given to numb the eye. The area around the eye is then cleaned. A small instrument called a speculum is used to keep the eye open, so the patient does not have to worry about blinking.
The medicine is then injected into the affected part of the eye with a fine needle, and finally some lubricating drops are put in the eye.
The UK public health body further said that most people can usually return home from hospital within an hour after the procedure. However, some may be asked to wait for a check of the internal pressure of the eye (eye pressure).
Dr Hira says the process of giving injections in the eye can sometimes also be a routine medical procedure.
In that case, the patient does not need to be admitted to hospital; it can be done at a clinic or in a doctor’s chamber.
In her words, ‘Abroad, because of high standards of hygiene and sterile environments, eye injections can be done in clinics in some places. The patient is laid down and given numbing eye drops, the injection is given, and then the eye is bandaged for about an hour. The bandage is then removed.’
In Pakistan, however, this is usually done by taking the patient to a minor OT or operation theatre, Dr Hira said.
Source: BBC
Background
According to a report in Pakistani daily The News on 31 January 2026, PIMS had then said that 74-year-old Imran Khan had recently complained of reduced vision in his right eye. After an eye examination at Adiala jail, central retinal vein occlusion was detected in his right eye and follow-up treatment in hospital was advised.
According to a Business Recorder report of 24 February 2026, he was given a second dose of the anti-VEGF injection on 23 February. That report said he had reportedly lost 85 per cent of the vision in his right eye because of the disease.
At a glance
According to a report in The Express Tribune on 30 January 2026, Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is serving a sentence in Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case.
Sources
Background sources: The News, 31 January 2026; Business Recorder, 24 February 2026; The Express Tribune, 30 January 2026
