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Saturday, September 27, 2008
Gastritis downs Palace press chief
DAVAO CITY -- Press Secretary Jesus Dureza was rushed to a hospital in New York on Thursday (Philippine time) after suffering from gastritis, a condition caused by the inflammation of the stomach lining.
Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said Dureza was rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital due to severe stomach pain. He said Dureza's attending physician ordered pain relievers and then ran some laboratory tests on him (Dureza) since late Wednesday night (US time) to make sure that there are no other ailments affecting his vital organs like the heart and liver.
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According to Golez, the laboratory tests conducted since Dureza's admission to the hospital showed negative results. However, more tests will be made to determine the real cause of the stomach pain.
A statement from the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) meantime stated that Dureza is now on a stable condition and "had a good sleep since the last dose of the pain reliever around 3 a.m. Friday."
"He is generally feeling well now and out of pain. Doctors may run further tests today (Friday) to determine what caused the severe stomach pain, including a stress test to assess overall health condition. His blood pressure, which shot up while he was complaining of stomach pain, has now stabilized to normal levels," the OPS statement said.
Golez said they expect the press secretary to be released from the hospital by Saturday. He will return to Manila on the same day.
However, in an interview with Dureza, he said he would be left behind for a day due to additional tests scheduled for Saturday.
Dureza was supposed to attend a dinner hosted by Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations Hilario Davide, followed by a separate dinner that he was supposed to host for members of the media covering President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's visit to the US. He did not attend both events for he was not feeling well.
It was learned that Dureza's blood pressure shot up during his ordeal.
"He decided to forego attending the two events when he felt the pain started to become unbearable," the released statement from the OPS said.
Dureza is in the US with President Arroyo for her appearance in the UN General Assembly. (BOT/With JMR/Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (September 27, 2008 issue)
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