Brazilian President Bolsonaro’s condition is ‘improving’ after he was rushed to hospital for an intestinal blockage, doctors say, but refuse to rule out surgery
- Jair Bolsonaro, 66, is in hospital in Sao Paulo after suffering a blocked intestine
- Brazilian president’s condition is ‘improving’, but being kept under observation
- He has no fever or pain but has been fitted with a feeding tube, top medic said
- Condition is related to abdominal wounds Bolsonaro suffered after being stabbed in the stomach during the 2018 election, doctor added
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s condition is ‘improving’ after he was rushed to hospital for an intestinal blockage early on Monday.
The 66-year-old is under observation at Vila Nova Star Hospital in Sao Paulo, with medics saying Tuesday that he has no fever or pain and managed a short walk.
But he has been fitted with a feeding tube after struggling to keep food down, the medical team added, while refusing to rule out the possibility of surgery.
Dr. Antonio Luiz de Macedo, Bolsonaro’s top doctor who is leading the medical team, told Brazilian media that the president has problems with his intestine after being stabbed in the abdomen during the 2018 election campaign.
President Jair Bolsonaro, 66, is ‘improving’ in hospital after suffering a blocked intestine and has no fever or pain, but has been fitted with a feeding tube, his doctors have said (pictured)
Bolsonaro (file image) will be kept under observation for several more days and surgery has not yet been ruled out, his top doctor has said
Macedo said that Bolsonaro has a ‘very sensitive and delicate’ digestive tract that can cause food to get stuck and cause a blockage.
He added that Bolsonaro suffered a similar issue over the summer, when he stayed in hospital for two or three days before the blockage cleared itself.
Macedo added that the president went back to hospital on Monday because he suffered pain and had vomited after eating lunch.
A post on Bolsonaro’s social media accounts revealed the pain began after lunch on Sunday, prompting an overnight evacuation flight from the beach resort of Santa Catarina – where he spent the New Year – to Sao Paulo, a journey of 300 miles.
The post, which was accompanied by a photo of Bolsonaro in bed giving a thumbs up, said he arrived in hospital around 3am Monday and was placed on a ward.
Dr Macedo was then summoned, and arrived around 5am on Tuesday.
Bolsonaro was stabbed during a campaign rally three years ago, causing intestinal damage and serious internal bleeding, which has required at least four surgeries.
In July, he was admitted to hospital for further treatment after suffering from hiccups for ten days straight as a result of his gastrointestinal trouble.
‘I started feeling unwell after lunch Sunday. I arrived at the hospital at 3:00 am today,’ he tweeted after being admitted to Vila Nova Star hospital in Sao Paulo.
‘They gave me a nasogastric tube,’ a device to carry food and medicine to the stomach through the nose.
‘They’ll be doing more exams to decide if I need surgery,’ he added.
Bolsonaro’s office said he was ‘doing well.’ Brazilian channel TV Globo carried images of him walking unassisted as he disembarked from his plane with his entourage.
Bolsonaro’s medical team said he was suffering from an ‘intestinal subocclusion,’ a partial blockage of the intestinal tract.
‘He is stable, undergoing treatment and will be reevaluated throughout the morning,’ his doctors said in a statement.
‘At the moment, there is no forecast for his release.’
The surgeon who has operated on Bolsonaro in the past, Dr. Antonio Luiz Macedo – who was himself on vacation in the Bahamas – will arrive at 3.00pm local time, the president said.
Macedo told news site UOL the president would undergo a battery of tests.
About a month before he was elected president, Bolsonaro was stabbed at a campaign rally by a man who was found to be psychologically unfit for trial.
The horrifying moment was caught on several cameras as the assailant struck Bolsonaro in the stomach.
The politician was being carried on the shoulders of a supporter while shaking hands with his fans when the assailant rushed up to him and plunged the blade into his torso.
Bolsonaro was seen collapsing and clutching his stomach in agony.
The then-candidate would normally have been wearing a bullet-proof vest provided by the federal police but on this occasion had decided to forego protection.
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