Prime Minister Perry Christie was well enough to be transferred from the Intensive Care Unit to a private room in the Princess Margaret Hospital Wednesday, after his recovery from severe hypertension was classified as remarkable.
Mr. Christie was diagnosed with hypertensive encephalopathy, after experiencing numbness in his hands that led him to be rushed to hospital on Monday morning.
After 24 hours of being closely monitored in the ICU, his doctors, at another press briefing held yesterday, said the nation’s leader was in excellent spirits, had briefly consulted with his Cabinet ministers and was even asking when he would be discharged.
“Should we get a bed available on the private ward, we hope to be able to move him out of the ICU,” said Mr. Christie’s attending physician, heart specialist Dr. Cornville Brown. “He is doing that well that we wish to downgrade his status in terms of the critical nature.”
Moving him to a private room would allow him to walk around, which is not the ideal scenario in the ICU.
Mr. Christie’s blood pressure had improved and no neurological problems were detected, according to his doctors, who also reported that he would have undergone a CAT scan procedure yesterday to determine whether any deposits of cholesterol were blocking the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the brain.
“The impression at this point would be that he would have had what we call hypertensive encefalopathy, which means that your brain may not function as well as it ought to because of the pressure being too high and now that that is well under control we are pleased as we said earlier to report that he has recovered quite nicely,” Dr. Brown explained.
The Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont also visited the prime minister in hospital. But what his medical team maintained was that visitation will continue to be restricted to allow him the critical recuperation that he sorely needs.
Mr. Christie had said before he was hospitalized that he had not taken a vacation since he took over the reins of government three years ago. He was admitted to hospital a day after the Progressive Liberal Party government marked its third year in office.
As he urged potential visitors to be mindful of the prime minister’s condition, Dr. Perry Gomez, Mr. Christie’s personal physician said he would have to undergo a lifestyle change.
“We just implore the friends and supporters of the prime minister to give him some space at this particular time, particularly as we try to move him out of Intensive Care to a private room, where they may feel it is easier to get access to him,” he said.
“Please be assured that we will not allow it. We would just like for the people to give him some space and time in the next few weeks so that he can truly adjust to what we hope will be a new lifestyle for him,” Dr. Gomez added.
It is a point that the Minister of Health Senator Dr. Marcus Bethel also reiterated. He also referred to the positive signs in the prime minister’s case.
“His imminent step down from the Intensive Care Unit is a very positive sign that he is out of danger from the doctor’s point of view,” he said. “His condition is stable and he would not need intensive monitoring provided in ICU. That is a very positive sign and we need to be very cognizant that he will require more time to fully recuperate and get the adequacy of rest and composure that he needs.”
The prime minister is expected to remain in hospital for another day or two, then in the short term continue his convalescence at home. But one of his doctors hinted that he might actually be advised to consider spending some of his time recuperating out of town.
“One of the places, as a public figure, that you are not going to convalesce is the place in which you are the public figure. I am sure that that will require further discussion amongst the team and then we will make some recommendations to him and hopefully they will be heeded,” Dr. Brown said.
Once he is released from hospital, Mr. Christie will continue to be on prescribed medication and be monitored by a physician.
By: Tameka Lundy, The Bahama Journal
