Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro left yesterday the Sao Paulo hospital where he had been for four days undergoing treatment for complications following a near-fatal 2018 stabbing, and said he will be back at his desk in Brasilia today.
“I’ll be back in the presidency tomorrow,” the president told the media as he left the Vila Nova Star hospital, where he had been since Wednesday.
“It seems that my stomach was on fire. The cause was an intestinal obstruction, which is common in those like me that have undergone surgery, after the stabbing,” said Bolsonaro, who spoke to journalists for half an hour.
“I had to undergo a diet, I did what had to be done ... I wanted to leave from day one, but they didn’t let me. I hope in 10 days I’ll be eating barbecued ribs, eating anything,” he said.
The hospital said in an earlier statement that Bolsonaro will remain under observation as an outpatient.
His medical team also advised him to go on a diet, but the president said he may not comply.
“I’ll try to follow, but I’m not an example to anyone when it comes to diet,” Bolsonaro said.
The 66-year-old president was taken to the Sao Paulo hospital for treatment relating to an obstructed intestine following the 2018 knifing. He did not require surgery.
In a live online event on Saturday to mark the opening of a Caixa Economica bank branch in the north of the country, Bolsonaro had said he was feeling fine and itching to get back to work.
“I can’t wait to get back to work, see friends, and really get Brazil moving,” Bolsonaro said.
There had been fears that Bolsonaro might need surgery to clear the obstruction, although that was quickly ruled out.
He has undergone surgery six times since he was stabbed in the abdomen in 2018 on the campaign trail.
On Thursday the hospital had said he was “evolving satisfactorily” while his legislator son, Eduardo Bolsonaro said doctors had removed “close to one litre (a quarter of a gallon) of liquid” from the president’s stomach that was caused by the obstruction, considerably alleviating the pain.
While in hospital, Bolsonaro continued to work and was very active on social media, publishing photos and commenting on political subjects.
Because of his abdominal problems, Bolsonaro has been told to “chew food well, eat lighter meals, exercise, walk”, head of the medical team at the hospital, Antonio Macedo said on Saturday.
Bolsonaro’s health scare came at a difficult time for the president who last week saw his disapproval rating climb to an all-time high.
The Senate has also launched an investigation over his handling of the pandemic, the seriousness of which he repeatedly downplayed and which has cost almost 540,000 lives in Brazil.
The investigation was extended by 90 days on Wednesday.
Bolsonaro, who contracted the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease last year, is also being investigated by the public prosecutor for allegedly failing to act on an embezzlement tip-off regarding coronavirus vaccine purchases.
The opposition is pushing for the president of the chamber of deputies to open impeachment proceedings against Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro speaks during a press conference at the Vila Nova Star Hospital in Sao Paulo. He received his medical discharge yesterday after being treated for four days for an intestinal obstruction.
