Speaker of the parliament and former president of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed barely escaped death in Thursday night's blast, ADK Hospital has said.
Nasheed was taken to ADK Hospital Thursday night after he sustained several injuries in an explosion near his residence in Male'. According to the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), the blast occurred when an IED strapped to a motorcycle detonated. Multiple critical surgeries were performed on Nasheed at ADK Hospital, and he remains in the Intensive Care Unit.
ADK Hospital on Saturday briefed the public on Nasheed's condition. According to ADK's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Abdulla Niyaf, Nashed was taken to ADK around 8:30 pm on Thursday night, and was moved to the Operation Theatre within ten minutes of his arrival. The hospital said Nasheed was hit with multiple pieces of shrapnel from the blast, and one fragment missed his heart by one centimeter. The metal fragments that penetrated his rib cage were life threatening, said the hospital.
The doctor's team at ADK said a CT scan was carried out to identify the extent of both internal and external damages. The scan showed that multiple pieces of shrapnel had pierced Nasheed's body, and four main surgeries were performed on Nasheed. Dr Niyaf said while doctors have practice in removing blood clots from blood vessels, it was extremely challenging to remove smooth metal fragments that had penetrated the Speaker's body.
The doctors said Nasheed was taken off ventilator support on Saturday morning and that he is breathing on his own with no trouble. The medication administered to bring down his blood pressure is no longer being given. However, the doctors are closely monitoring his health as infections are always a concern after major surgeries, said ADK.
