Friday, August 20, 2010

Balala discharged from hospital after surgery



By JACOB NG’ETICH
Posted Friday, August 20 2010 at 15:48

Cabinet Minister Najib Balala was on Friday discharged from Nairobi Hospital after spending five days, where he underwent surgery on his nose.

In a brief statement to journalists outside the hospital, the minister said he was fine and would go rest for a week before resuming duty.

“I am now doing fine after I underwent an operation on my nose I am going to rest at home for a week”

A day before he was discharged, in an interview with the Nation in his hospital bed, Mr Balala refuted claims that he collapsed in his office before he was rushed to Nairobi Hospital and explained that he had driven himself to the hospital on Monday morning for a surgery that had been scheduled a month before.

“I drove in at nine o clock, at ten they did tests that included pressure and by 2.30 in the afternoon I was in the theatre for the surgery” said Mr Balala

He wondered where the rumours about him collapsing in his office on Monday evening while he was already in the hospital bed at 6.15 pm after the surgery.

“I did not listen to the news about my alleged collapse in the office, my wife told me the following day about it, thank God my family were here with me otherwise you can imagine the distress it would have caused them, that was alarmist” said the Mvita MP.

He said that on the previous day, he had led a fundraising in aid of Hurlingham Mosque where he helped raise 15.2 million shillings for the expansion of the Mosque.

The Tourism minister said he was not aware of the Cabinet reshuffle until after Tuesday afternoon when he was informed by the secretary to the Cabinet Mr Francis Muthaura who visited him in the hospital.

Mr Balala who was accompanied by his two sons Nabeel Balala and Naeem Balala in his hospital room thanked all well wishers who had visited him, called to wish him well and those who continued to pray for him in different places.

Mr Nabeel Balala is the firstborn and is currently in college pursuing undergraduate architecture course in Italy while Naeem Balala finished his O level studies at the Jaffery Academy in July this year.

“I am told mosques in Mombasa have continuously prayed for me, I thank them, and I plan to travel to Mombasa over the weekend and relax at home with my people” said the jovial Balala.

Among dignitaries who have visited him while in the hospital include Minister for Higher Education William Ruto, Defence Minister Yusuf Hajji, Information Minister Samwel Poghisio and Head of Civil servant and secretary to the Cabinet Francis Muthaura who carried a well wish message from President Kibaki.

Others included Dr Oburu Odinga assistant minister for Finance, his ministry officials, most of the Coast MPs and the top Muslim leadership in the country.

The Tourism minister had undergone an operation to correct an anomaly in his nose known as the deviation of the nasal septum.
His doctor, Prof Muthure Macharia, said the condition is frequently caused by impact trauma, such as by a blow to the face.

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