Nelson Mandela Is Hospitalized: Please Keep Him in Prayer (290 hits)

As a nation holds its breath, Nelson Mandela is reportedly recovering from a collapsed lung at a Johannesburg hospital, cloaked by levels of secrecy that have triggered wild rumours and near panic.

The 92-year-old hero of the anti-apartheid struggle was airlifted to Johannesburg for treatment by a pulmonologist after he developed a persistent cough during a vacation in Cape Town, according to one report. He could be discharged from hospital as early as Saturday, other reports said.

As he enters his third day in hospital, Mr. Mandela is surrounded by secrecy and security measures that have sparked criticism in the media and on Internet forums. Almost nothing is known officially about his health or his treatment. Guards are keeping all news media far away from the elite private hospital where he is receiving treatment.

So far, the only official comment about his condition is a terse 23-word statement from the Nelson Mandela Foundation, issued when he was first hospitalized on Wednesday. The statement merely said that Mr. Mandela was “undergoing routine tests” and “is in no danger.”

This was followed, a day later, by a brief statement from South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress, appealing to the country to “remain calm” and “not press any panic buttons.” But the statement failed to give any information about Mr. Mandela’s condition, except to say that he was “undergoing routine medical checkup.”

South African President Jacob Zuma issued his own statement, saying only that Mr. Mandela is “comfortable” and “well looked after.”

Yet even as the foundation and the ruling party were calling it a “routine” checkup, an endless parade of top political leaders and family members was trooping into the hospital to visit Mr. Mandela, raising questions about the accuracy of the official version.

If the growing reports about a collapsed lung are correct, the former president’s health is far from routine. But by refusing to give any details of his condition, the officials left a vacuum that was soon filled by wild speculation and rumours. On Twitter and Facebook and in cellphone text messages, many people claimed that Mr. Mandela was dead or near death – despite the lack of any evidence for this.

The intense interest in his health shows how Mr. Mandela remains the heart and soul of this country, despite his near-total withdrawal from public activities. He has not made any public appearances since a brief spin around Soccer City stadium in a golf cart before the final game of the World Cup last July.

Mr. Mandela has seemed increasingly frail over the past two years. He walks slowly, usually with his arms supported by family members, and never speaks in public. A report on BBC said his health “has begun to deteriorate more rapidly in recent months.”

Despite the latest hospital treatment, there is no indication Mr. Mandela is in imminent danger. Mr. Zuma continues to remain abroad, where he is attending the Davos summit in Switzerland. The President is planning to attend an African Union summit in Ethiopia this weekend.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/... Posted By: Jen Fad
Thursday, January 27th 2011 at 8:55PM
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