Nelson Mandela is “much better” and responding “satisfactorily” to treatment after a week in hospital for pneumonia, the South African presidency said Wednesday.
The ailing 94-year-old, who served as South Africa’s first black president, was making a steady improvement and doctors were happy with his progress, President Jacob Zuma’s office said in a statement.
No details on a possible release were given.
The global peace and anti-apartheid icon was admitted to hospital shortly before midnight a week ago, his third stay since December.
Doctors last week drained excess fluid that had built up on the lining of Mandela’s lungs because of a recurring infection.
The procedure helped him breathe without difficulty.
Last month Mandela spent a night in hospital for a scheduled checkup and in December he was admitted for 18 days for a lung infection and gallstones surgery.
It was his longest admission since he walked free from jail in 1990.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.