Will Sharon appear Tuesday?
PM expected to be released from hospital Tuesday; doctors said he suffered no damage
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is expected to be released from hospital Tuesday morning, possibly allowing the public to finally see the country’s leader - a man who is usually seen on TV and heard on the radio on a daily basis.
“The prime minister slept well during the night, and will be examined by his doctors once again this morning (Tuesday),” the hospital said in a statement.
Sharon suffered a mild stroke Sunday evening and was rushed to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem where doctors ruled out lasting damage.
Wary of the importance of the image of the new Kadima party founder, aides to the prime minister are eager to portray the 77-year-old as healthy in the run-up to the general elections slated for March 28.
Meanwhile, Sharon’s Kadima partner Shimon Peres told talk show host Yair Lapid he spoke with the prime minister before the show and noticed no speech impediments.
“He is doing very well. He told me that he’s going to work in the morning, that he’s impatient, and that he has plenty to do,” Peres said. “I told him ‘you managed to overcome terror attacks, you will overcome this too.’”
“By the end of the conversation we were joking. He said: ‘If I was young like you, I would have more time to exercise,” Peres added. “I told him: ‘Look, all the world leaders who were once against you are supporting you today.’ He said there was some truth to this.”
Earlier, Sharon also spoke to President Moshe Katsav and reassured him he is feeling better and should be released from hospital Tuesday morning. Katsav said Sharon was in a good mood.
'Sharon fit to function as PM'
Prime Minister Sharon was hospitalized Sunday after suffering a minor stroke, but did not suffer any damage and is able to continue functioning as the country’s leader, Ein Kerem Hospital Deputy Director Yair Birenbaum says.
"Sharon is undergoing a series of tests. He looks well and we hope to release him Tuesday," the doctor told reporters during a
press conference Monday.
The prime minister never lost consciousness and the stroke caused him no damage, Neurology Department Director Dr. Tamir Ben-Hur said, adding that Sharon was competent to perform his activities as prime minister.
According to the doctors, Sharon had suffered a mild stroke when a small blood clot briefly blocked the blood vessels feeding his brain. He had trouble speaking temporarily, but suffered no permanent damage.
"The problem was very small, not neurological or cognitive problems. (It) was limited to speech," Ben-Hur said. He treated Sharon after he was admitted Sunday night.
"He is now getting blood thinners. There are excellent chances for recovery," he added. "We want him to rest, and that is one of the reasons that he is staying until tomorrow ... Once he is released, he won't get any rest."
Doctors also recommended that Sharon, who is extremely overweight, go on a diet. He is to return to the hospital in several weeks for more tests.
Sharon wants to return to ranch
Earlier, Sharon told his aides he does not understand why he must undergo the long series of tests. Despite his good spirits, the doctors were finding it difficult to deal with his repeated request to return home to his ranch.
"The prime minister inquired whether the Likud vote
was already underway, and was updated on the IDF's operations in Gaza overnight," sources said, defining his situation as better Monday morning.
A statement issues by the hospital Monday morning said that "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rested throughout the night. His situation continues to be good."
An MRI test did not find anything unusual, and the prime minister was transferred to an internal hospital ward, where he met with his sons and associates and told Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon, “We’re moving forward.”
Sharon's associates added that he had showered by himself, was no longer connected to monitoring machines and had taken a stroll independently in the hospital ward. The prime minister's two sons, Gilad and Omri, and his daughter-in-law Michal were constantly by his side.
Sources close to Sharon said he was "alert and attentive to his surrounding," and that he was awaiting a series of neurological and other tests. The sources also denied that any facial visual symptom was caused by the stroke.
World leaders continued to inquire as to the prime minister's health. British Prime Minister Tony Blair phoned Sharon Monday morning. He did not speak directly with Sharon, but inquired as to his health and wished him a speedy recovery.
Ronny Sofer, Efrat Weiss and AP contributed to the report
