President hospitalised with persistent body pain
By Desiree Jodah
President Janet Jagan was rushed to a private hospital on Wednesday night suffering from "ill-defined and persistent body pains," according to a Guyana Information Services (GIS) release. The GIS release said the President's condition was stable and she remained under intense "evaluation and observation." Minister of Information, Moses Nagamootoo, told Stabroek News at about 6:00 pm yesterday that the President continued to be hospitalised at the St Joseph's Mercy Hospital. However, he said she had been removed from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital where she had been since her admission. Nagamootoo said President Jagan's "symptoms" continued to improve and she was under observation. He said her initial complaint had "resolved significantly" and that she was resting "quietly". When asked whether he had been asked to perform the duties of President in view of Mrs Jagan's illness, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds replied that her illness was not sufficiently serious to warrant any such move. This was confirmed by Nagamootoo, who said that the President was not incapacitated. The PPP in a statement expressed concern about the illness of its leader. According to the PPP, the President's physicians had advised the party that she was not in danger and was getting a well-deserved rest. President Jagan could be discharged from hospital very soon, the statement said. The PPP said it noted the President's untiring efforts to cope with state obligations, both local and overseas. Her most recent engagement was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she attended the summit involving Latin American, European Union and Caribbean nations. The party said President Jagan's engagement in Rio had in fact added to her fatigue. A source told this newspaper that shortly after returning from the reception to mark Canada Day on Wednesday evening, the President had complained of chest pains. She was taken to the St Joseph's Mercy Hospital, where, according to information obtained by this newspaper, she was admitted to the ICU where she reportedly received a GTN drip, which is used to dilate the blood vessels in the heart. This newspaper understands that the President was suffering from mild angina, which causes palpitations of the heart, and sometimes pain. In 1991, Mrs Jagan had collapsed at the opening of the PPP's twenty-fourth congress at the Empire Cinema and had to be rushed to hospital. She had been diagnosed of having suffered from atrial fibrillation (heart palpitation). On July 24, 1996, Mrs Jagan was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the same hospital battling complications arising from septicaemia (blood poisoning) and a recurring heart problem. On July 25, she was flown to Mt Hope Hospital in Trinidad and Tobago where she was on the critical list for a while. The President is 74-year-old.
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