With a hat on his head and waves to the public and press agents waiting outside, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva left São Paulo’s Sírio-Libanês Hospital at 12:22 pm Sunday (Dec. 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 stay until at least next Thursday (19) to recover.
Shortly before leaving the hospital, President Lula made a surprise appearance, accompanied by First Lady Janja da Silva at the press conference where the doctors informed him he had been discharged from hospital. He hugged the doctors, posed for photos, and thanked God and the medical staff.
“This isn’t an interview, this is just a thank-you session,” said Lula as he began his speech, which lasted around 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 bath, which resulted in a bruise on his head. The president then underwent a series of tests which found, Lula himself said, “a growing amount of fluid in my head.” He needed a surgery to drain the fluid.
Feeling emotional, Lula said he is now “sure he is cured,”adding, however, that he will need to take care of himself and should not do intense physical exercise.
During his speech to the press, President Lula also said: “I never thought I was going to die, but I’m afraid. So I need to take care of myself and I know how to do that really well,” he went on to remark.
“I have a commitment to this country and to the Brazilian people, and I want to leave my post the same way I left in 2010, head held high, convinced that this country will be much better off,” he concluded saying.
Source: Agência Brasil