With a hat on his head and waving to the public and journalists waiting outside, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva left the Sírio-Libanês Hospital in São Paulo at 12:22 PM this Sunday (December 15), where he had been hospitalized since last Tuesday (10). From the hospital, the Brazilian leader went to his home in Alto de Pinheiros, São Paulo, where he is expected to remain until at least next Thursday (19) to recover.
Just before leaving the hospital, President Lula made a surprise appearance, accompanied by First Lady Janja da Silva, at the press conference where doctors informed him that he had been discharged. He hugged the doctors, posed for photos, and thanked God and the medical team.
“This is not an interview, this is just a session of thanks,” Lula said as he began his speech, which lasted about 15 minutes. “God was very generous in taking care of me when I fell in the bathroom,” he declared.
The accident
The president fell while taking a shower, resulting in a bruise on his head. He then underwent a series of tests that detected, according to Lula himself, “an increasing amount of fluid in my head.” He needed surgery to drain the fluid.
Emotional, Lula said he is now “sure he is healed,” adding, however, that he will need to take care of himself and should not engage in intense physical exercise.
During his speech to the press, President Lula also said: “I never thought I was going to die, but I am scared. So I need to take care of myself, and I know how to do this very well,” he continued.
“I have a commitment to this country and the Brazilian people, and I want to leave office the same way I did in 2010, with my head held high, convinced that this country will be much better,” he concluded.
Source: Agência Brasil