Nigerian Community
As anxiety mounts over President Umaru Yar’Adua’s health, the President has been diagnosed with acute pericarditis, (an inflammatory condition of the coverings of the heart).


Pericarditis is a condition in which the sac-like covering around the heart (pericardium) becomes inflamed.

Daily Champion investigations showed that the symptoms include ankle, feet and leg swellings. There are also anxiety and breathing difficulties when lying down, including chest pain. This is caused by the inflamed pericardium rubbing against the heart.

The pain may spread to the neck, shoulder, back or abdomen.

Often it increases with deep breathing, lying flat, coughing and swallowing.

It is usually relieved by sitting up and leaning forward.

Most cases of pericarditis clear up with rest and medication within a few weeks, although patients will initially need to be treated in hospital to check for complications.

Occasionally pericarditis is triggered by cancer, which is something doctors need to check for.

Rarely patients may need surgery if the pressure around the heart becomes too great, a complication that could potentially be fatal, she adds.

In a statement issued yesterday by Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, the medical trip was necessitated by left sided severe chest pain which he felt last Friday after the Juma’at prayers.

"At about 3pm on Friday, November 20, after he returned from the Abuja Central Mosque where he performed the Juma’at prayers, President Yar’Adua complained of left sided severe chest pain."

He said preliminary medical examinations then suggested an inflammatory condition of the coverings of the heart.

"It was then decided that he should undertake confirmatory checks at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he had his last medical check-up in August," Adeniyi said.

He said the President was well and responding to treatment said at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

"The medical review and tests undertaken at the hospital have confirmed the initial diagnosis that the President is indeed suffering from acute pericarditis. He is now receiving treatment for the ailment and is responding remarkably well."

Meanwhile, Adeniyi said Vice President Goodluck Jonathan has been directed by President Yar’Adua to receive Sallah homage, the traditional Sallah event which is performed by the President.

Below is the verbatim representation of the dialogue between Adeniyi and Journalists at the Villa in Abuja, yesterday.

On President’s reaction to rumour?

He is a human being, naturally he will feel bad. This is not the first time, the President was aware of the rumor. He felt bad about it as any normal human being would.

Why rumour?

What can we do, we can’t legislate against rumor. There is nothing anybody can do.

Will he perform Hajj?

No, it is definitely not true; even before the President travelled he knew that he was not going to perform the Hajj.

Even when I did the first drat for the statement, I stated that the President will do medicals and undergo Hajj, but he said no, I am not going to do Hajj. So there is no way he is going to do Hajj.

It was alleged that he left by midnight because he could not walk?

Actually what happened was that the President was supposed to leave earlier in the day but because of the holidays in Saudi Arabia, they could not procure his visa in time.

When will he come back?

Once I know I will tell; I will give you an update

President Yar’Adua has twice been flown to Germany for emergency treatment and it is the second time he has visited hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

He has refused to say exactly what condition he suffers from, and has repeatedly said in interviews that his life is "in the hands of God".

Meanwhile, members of the Rivers State Action Congress (AC) have embarked on a seven day fasting and prayer for the recovery of the President.

AC spokesman in the state, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze disclosed this in a press statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The party called on all Nigerians to pray for the speedy recovery of the President.

Part of the statement read: "We learnt with dismay the news of his ill health that necessitated an urgent trip to Saudi-Arabia for medical attention. At this time we enjoin all Nigerians to put aside political differences and rally around the first family at this time of vulnerability.

"The Rivers State AC leader Prince Tonye Princewill who is currently in Turkey as the Head of the Rivers State Economic delegation to meet with prospective investors in that country, on receipt of the abrupt departure of the President to Saudi Arabia, directed that every bona fide member of the Rivers State AC to embark on a seven day fast starting from Thursday 26 November, 2009, to supplicate for the full recovery of Mr. President.

"I feel concerned for the President health condition as it is becoming embarrassing not minding my misgiving about the slow pace of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) central government in addressing the myriad of problems confronting our country under his watch. I will want our women group to by their next Monday’s prayer session consider the health of the President as the major issue of their prayer session as I urge all Rivers State AC genuine members to fast and pray for the immediate full recovery of Mr. President."

Source: http://www.nigeriancommunity.net/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=58&Itemid=999