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 on Sunday (December 15), where he had been hospitalized since Tuesday (December 10). From the hospital, the president went to his home in Alto de Pinheiros, in the capital, where he is expected to remain until at least next Thursday (December 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 announced that he had been discharged. He hugged the doctors, posed for photos, and thanked God and the medical team.
“This is not an interview; it’s just a session of gratitude,” Lula said, starting 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 hematoma on his head. Lula then underwent a series of tests that, according to him, revealed “an increasing amount of fluid in the head.” He needed to undergo surgery to drain the fluid.
Emotional, Lula said he is now “absolutely certain that he is healed,” adding, however, that he will need to take care of his health and avoid intense physical exercise.
During his speech to the press, the president also stated: “I never thought I was going to die, but I was scared. That’s why I need to take care of myself, and I know how to do that very well,” he commented.
“I have a commitment to this country and to the Brazilian people, and I want to leave my position the same way I left in 2010, with my head held high, convinced that this country will be much better,” he concluded.
Source: Agência Brasil