Pope Francis to be discharged from hospital on March 23, doctor says
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Pope Francis has been in hospital in Rome since Feb 14 with a severe respiratory infection.
PHOTO: AFP
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VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, who has been battling pneumonia for more than five weeks, will be discharged from hospital on March 23 but will need a further two months of rest at the Vatican, the head of his medical team said on March 22.
The Pope, 88, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Feb 14 with a severe respiratory infection that became the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy.
While he will return to the Vatican on March 23, his doctors said it would take “a lot of time” for his ageing body to fully heal.
They said they had prescribed him two months of repose, and had advised him against having meetings with large groups, or any that take special effort.
“The recommendation for a period of convalescence of at least two months is very important,” Dr Sergio Alfieri, head of the Pope’s medical team, told the press conference.
The Vatican said earlier on March 22 that the pontiff also planned to make his first appearance in more than five weeks on March 23, offering a blessing from the window of his room at the hospital, where he has been battling double pneumonia.
The Pope has been seen by the public only once during his hospital stay, in a photo the Vatican released last week, showing him at prayer in a hospital chapel.
The pontiff wants to be at the hospital window at around noon on March 23 to give a greeting and blessing, the Vatican said in its brief statement earlier on March 22.
The Pope usually offers a weekly noon-time prayer in St Peter’s Square on Sundays. He has not been able to do this since Feb 9, before going to hospital. REUTERS
