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Photo: Alex Kolomoisky
Heavily sedated. Sharon
Photo: Yaakov Saar, GPO
Photo: Raffi Ben Hakun
Shlomo Mor Yosef
Photo: Raffi Ben Hakun
Photo: Avi Hayun
Sharon's doctors
Photo: Avi Hayun

Hospital: PM to remain anesthetized

(VIDEO) Hadassah hospital director updates reporters at around 8 p.m. that prime minister will remain anesthetized and ventilated for several days, says that Sharon has 'remained in a stable condition since this afternoon.' The stroke affected the PM's right side of his brain, doctor says

(VIDEO) Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will remain anesthetized and ventilated for the next several days, Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital Director-General Shlomo Mor-Yosef said Thursday evening, in the latest of a series of updates to the press.

 

"The Prime Minister's treatment cannot be measured with a stopwatch. It's not treatment in the pace of the 21st century's media It's a treatment that takes between 24 to 48, or even 72 hours, depending on the prime minister's condition," he said.

 

Mor Yosef refused to predict Sharon's

chance of recovery following the massive stroke and cerebral hemorrhage. However, he did say the prime minister's right lobe had been damaged.

 

The doctor explained that while it was not possible to test Sharon's response to stimuli as he is currently anesthetized and ventilated, his pupils are responding to various tests.

 

Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at Soroka Hospital Dr. Avi Cohen said "the fact that Sharon's pupils respond well indicates that his brainstem is intact."

 

"Stable vital signs can indicate that his brainstem is functioning," he said, adding that a hemorrhage on the right side of the brain may cause harm to the left side of Sharon's body.

 

 

A hospital official said the mental strain related to the nature of Sharon’s responsibilities may have contributed to the serious stroke he suffered Thursday night.

 

“You can image this kind of strain may have been caused by the latest publications about the Sharon family and the Cyril Kern.” he said. 

 

'Remained stable since the afternoon'

 

Mor Yosef told reporters Thursday evening that Sharon is currently being treated in the Neurosurgery intensive care unit and has remained in a stable condition since the afternoon.

 

"All the medical parameters tested were found to be normal in light of his situation," he said. "The main treatment he is receiving at present is a deep anesthetization and ventilation."

 


Last photo of Sharon arriving at the hospital  (Photo: AFP) 

 

According to the doctor, the main objective is to reduce intracranial pressure, in a bid to allow the brain to recover from the trauma of the stroke and operation.

 

"An improvement in his condition can only be examined after the prime minister awakes," he said.

 

People have been responding from across the world and from across the country, both from the medical community and all the residents who are concerned over the prime minister's condition, are praying for his wellbeing and are offering their support to us," Mor Yosef said.

 

"We all express our hope that the stabilization in the prime minister's condition is a start toward an improvement, which we will only be able to examine after the prime minister's anesthetization is completed in a gradual and controlled manner," he added.

 

When asked whether it was the correct move to rush Sharon to Hadassah Ein Kerem and not to the Soroka Hospital, which is closer to Sycamore Ranch, Mor Yosef answered that "I served as Soroka's director-general for four years. I think it is one of the best hospitals in Israel."

 

"I believe that taking the prime minister on a ride which will add another 30 minutes, but to a place where the medical team is familiar with him, to a place which he only left a couple of weeks ago, to a place where he was about to undergo a medical procedure the following day – I think this was a rational decision, a reasonable decision and a right decision," he said.

 

Mor Yosef's earlier update     (Video: Yaron Brenner) 

 

Earlier, Mor Yosef briefed journalists at the hospital's gate and said that "the prime minister is suffering from low intracranial pressure, and is heavily sedated."

 

Mor Yosef said he came to speak to journalists, even though he had no new information, to counter a wave of rumors spreading around the country.

 

"I came out to update you and to refute the rumors flooding the country," he said, referring to rumors claiming that Sharon had already died, and that the news is being delayed for one reason or another.

 

"Sharon is still alive," a Sharon aide who is in the intensive care unit told Ynet.

 

Professor Mor Yosef called on journalists to "cooperate in a responsible manner with the transfer of information on the prime minister's condition," adding, "As Hadassah's director, I am obligated to bring every change in the prime minister's condition to light through hospital statements."

 

Olmert takes over PM responsibilities

 

The prime minister was rushed to the hospital late Wednesday on his personal doctor's orders after feeling unwell.

 

Sharon's convoy arrived at the hospital around 11 p.m., and the prime minister was immediately taken into the trauma unit where he underwent tests by a team of experts summoned to the hospital. Later, the PM underwent an MRI scan.

 

As the prime minister fights for his life, all of his responsibilities have been handed over to Acting Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, who convened a short government meeting Thursday morning.

 

Likud Party Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu has frozen the planned resignations of Likud ministers from the government, saying: "We have a national responsibility and we are staying in the government."

 

Labor Party Chairman Amir Peretz has put all Labor political activity on hold, and has called for national unity and prayers for the prime minister.

 

Meanwhile, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ruled out any possibility of delaying the elections, saying that there was no connection between Sharon's condition and the dissolution of the Knesset.

 

Ronny Sofer and Meital Yasur Beit-Or contributed to the report

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.05.06, 14:34
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