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| National |
| Muluzi to be operated on |
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by
Gedion Munthali, 25 January 2006
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05:59:58
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Former head of state Bakili Muluzi is expected to undergo an operation in a London hospital on Wednesday to rectify a problem on his back which has been bothering him since 2001, a UDF source and a family member confirmed on Tuesday.
A senior UDF official said Tuesday Muluzi, who is the party’s national chairman, told him two days ago he would be operated on today [Wednesday] at London Clinic.
“It is not the leg, he will be operated on his back. That is where the problem is. It will be a major operation, according to him [Muluzi],” said the official, a member of the UDF executive committee.
“So you can see that the stories in some papers recently that he was faking the illness are not true,” he added.
Muluzi’s son Atupele confirmed on Tuesday his father would undergo the operation but, he said, he did not have the details when it would take place.
He also acknowledged that his dad has a problem on his back “which might be causing the pain in the leg.”
“There were two options. To sort out the problem through physiotherapy or an operation. He decided to go for an operation so that he does have any more problems in the future,” said Atupele.
The young Muluzi said his father has suffered from the problem since 2001.
“The problem started due to his posture when seated, given his age. It became worse during the 2004 elections when he was always in a car travelling during the campaign,” said Atupele.
“All that time he had been taking pain killers. But they reacted and gave him a rash. If you have seen him recently you might have noticed that. So he stopped taking them, and decided to go for an operation,” he said.
According to Atupele, a disk in the spine might have moved during the regular sitting in car, and this disk was touching the nervous system, causing the pain in areas affected by the touched nerves.
“I am not a medical doctor, and I do not want to give people wrong information, but that is how doctors have made me understand it,” he said.
Muluzi left Malawi two weeks ago to receive medical attention, according to UDF spokesman Sam Mpasu, on his leg.
“He has had that problem for sometime. He has problems to stand for a long time,” said Mpasu.
Last week reports indicated that Muluzi had sought permission from President Bingu wa Mutharika to extend his stay in the United Kingdom from six weeks to three months.
According to Information and Tourism Minister Patricia Kaliati government will spend about K6.5 million (about $52,000) on him for air tickets, medical bills and allowances.
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