Sudanese president leaves hospital after knee surgery

August 15, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir left Royal Care hospital in Khartoum on Friday after undergoing a surgery this week to replace the joint in his left knee.

Sudan official news agency (SUNA) quoted presidential press secretary Emad Sid Ahmed as saying that Bashir headed home to complete his recovery.

He said that the Sudanese leader expressed his thanks and gratitude to hospital staff who took care of him during his stay.

SUNA said that Bashir left amid prayers and greetings from ordinary citizens around the hospital.

Last May, it was announced that the Sudanese leader had a replacement surgery in his right knee. He resumed his official duties three weeks after.

The 70-year-old president underwent throat surgery in Qatar more than a year-and-a-half ago and another one a few months afterwards in Saudi Arabia.

A year ago, he secretly flew again to Saudi Arabia again for a medical checkup, according to a presidential source at the time.

Bashir’s brother, Abdullahi al-Bashir, a physician, later admitted that his younger sibling was suffering from a throat tumor, but insisted that medical tests proved that the swelling is benign.

The president was reportedly advised at the time by doctors to cut his public appearances and speeches but his aides say he did not heed to their advices.

At the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa in 2012 he appeared visibly frail with a weak voice.

Despite his health woes, Bashir will likely be the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) presidential candidate in elections slated for next April.

He has previously said he will not run again but but later he backtracked by saying it is up to the party’s institutions to decide on the 2015 presidential candidate and that he will respect their decision.

This week a ruling party official said that most of the ruling party grassroots bases recommended picking Bashir as their candidate.

(ST)