Brazil’s Lula alert, ‘progressed well’ since emergency brain surgery
Doctors successfully drained a bleed on the president’s brain, related to a fall in October
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is alert and has “progressed well” since undergoing intracranial surgery for bleeding that put pressure on his brain, the hospital treating him said on Wednesday.
Lula, 79, remains under observation in intensive care in the Hospital Sirio-Libanes in Sao Paulo following the emergency operation carried out on Tuesday. His doctors have said he should be released next week.
Lula was taken late Monday to Brazil’s top medical facility, Hospital Sirio-Libanes in Sao Paulo, after experiencing headaches that medics found were related to a fall he suffered in October.
The leader of South America’s largest country regained consciousness following the two-hour operation and was eating and talking, the doctors told a news conference on Tuesday.
Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin had taken over some of Lula’s workload. But Communications Minister Paulo Pimenta said in a radio interview that “we don’t consider it necessary for the president to be formally removed” from his duties.
Lula’s wife, first lady Rosangela Janja da Silva, said on Instagram: “After successful surgery, the anguish of last night has changed to calm and the certainty that, with the dedication of the medical team and faith and the people’s love, he will soon return to work”.
