Zambia’s president, Edgar Lungu, plans to return home on Sunday following his discharged from a hospital after undergoing a successful “medical procedure” in neighboring South Africa, according to spokesman Amos Chanda.
He says the president is in high spirits after the surgery.
“The president underwent a successful medical procedure yesterday and doctors are satisfied with the findings. He was therefore, discharged Saturday, and he might leave for Lusaka on Sunday,” said Chanda.
“They have kept the finer details of the medical advice confidential, but they have been very gracious to tell us that the medical procedure was successful. And they have advised him to return for medical review in a matter of weeks,” he added.
Last week, Lungu fell ill at an international Women’s day event in the capital, Lusaka.
Chanda said Lungu has returned to light duties after doctors in South Africa said they were pleased with the medical procedure.
“He is very well, and he has returned to lighter duties even as he is in the hospital, he is attending to those matters as he could. He is in very high spirit,” said Chanda. “Precaution starts with his decision to seek medical treatment and that is what we have done as early as possible and to be open about it …so that if anything is detected that require urgent medical attention we do get him to be treated as quickly as possible,” he said.
Zambians expressed concern after the president fell ill and urged his handlers to ensure Lungu is medically taken care off.
Zambia lost both Presidents Levy Mwanawasa, and recently Michael Sata due to ill health.
Chanda says Lungu has been transparent about his medical condition.
“We are hopeful that the openness that he has shown should be sufficient to reassure the Zambians that as president he is a public figure and given where we are coming from where we have lost two presidents the interest is very high among Zambians,” he said.
“So, they should get the assurance that everything is all right because all the procedures from the time that he was sick to the time when he has been treated have been made public, and we have issued medical bulletins at each time that doctors have reached a fundamental decision requiring communication. So, Zambians should be reassured that the president will resume duties immediately,” said Chanda.
He urged Zambians to keep the president in their prayers. But, warned opponents not to rejoice in the ill health of their opponent.
“When any one of the political leaders [is] ill, whether it’s the president or the opposition leaders that is not a matter for celebration. You cannot pursue your ambitions through the tragedy of another person, because the mortality of every person is certain, whether they are president or not. So to appear as though you are immortal because you are in opposition is senseless,” he said.
