Doctors say Zambian president has to undergo throat surgery abroad

onnaedo

March 9, 2015 5:47 PM

Lungu who was elected in January, collapsed while giving a speech to commemorate International Women's Day in the capital, Lusaka on Sunday.

Contrary to reports that Zambia's President Edgar Lungu had malaria after collapsing while giving a speech on International Women's Day, his doctors have said he has to undergo throat surgery abroad.

Lungu who was elected in January, collapsed while giving a speech to commemorate International Women's Day in the capital, Lusaka on Sunday.

But earlier in the year during his campaign, Lungu's allies had denied reports he was sick and offered to undergo a medical check-up.

He was treated at a local hospital and his office issued a report assuring Zambians that the president was "feeling better" and would return home on Monday.

But a statement from the president's office said he was suffering from a narrowing of the oesophagus which needed "high-tech medical procedure which is currently unavailable in Zambia".

It said this was a recurrence of a condition for which he had been treated 30 years ago.

In what's reminiscent of a pattern, Lungu was elected into office in January following the death of his predecessor, Micheal Sata and he's due to serve the remainder of Mr Sata's term until elections in 2016, provided his ill health doesn't get in the way again.

onnaedo