ISLAMABAD, June 25: President Pervez Musharraf’s spokesman Maj-Gen (retired) Rashid Qureshi Wednesday suffered second Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) after a gap of six years but luckily escaped permanent damage.

Gen Qureshi suffered the attack in the afternoon when he was at the President’s House in Islamabad. He fell unconscious and was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for medical assistance.

Pims administration said Mr Qureshi was brought to the emergency ward of the hospital at around 2:30pm in serious condition, but he was in senses.

Different medical and laboratory tests, including CT Scan, ECG and blood test, of the patient were carried out. Later, he was shifted to the Private Ward.

Doctors said he was out of danger, but had been put under observation for next 48 hours. A neuro physician is providing medical assistance to him. The doctors said Gen Qureshi suffered the TIA that caused inflammation of veins blocking the flow of blood. Due to the attack his tongue was affected for a short period, but timely treatment avoided any further loss or permanent damage.

The doctors said Gen Qureshi had a history of the attack, as he suffered the same in 2002.

TIA, a cerebral dysfunction of an ischemic nature lasting no longer than 24 hours with a tendency to recur, is arrived at arbitrarily. Experience shows that attacks are much brief, usually less than an hour, and many are associated with brain infarction.

Patients with TIA require urgent evaluation that includes brain and vascular imaging, blood tests and often cardiac investigations.— Staff Reporter