Panama, 13 mar ( EFE).- A team of physicians serving the Panamanian exgeneral Manuel Antonio Noriega, 78-year-old prisoner in Panama since last December, said today that the accused is a patient of “some risk” whose prison confinement can lead to premature death, which blame the Government.
The Group of four private doctors, including a cardiologist and a neurosurgeon, there is indicated at a press that Noriega, in addition to be cared for by high blood pressure, cholesterol, prostate and peptic ulcer disorders has a benign brain tumor and likely coronary heart disease.
Eduardo Reyes, general practitioner, explained that the tumor him was detected Noriega in his imprisonment in France, while heart disease was noted, last month, in its admission to intensive care of the Hospital Santo Tomás (HST) in Panama, by doctors this hospital.
His hospitalization for cerebral ischemia in Santo Tomas expressed the risk of vascular events as strokes or heart attacks, pointed out in a statement doctors.
Recalled that already in its confinement of approximately 20 years in United States, Noriega suffered two vascular brain accident aftermath in your body have left.
Also noted that Noriega reports a depressed pattern that can influence the occurrence of hazardous events of the heart.
José López cardiologist indicated that visit once a week to Noriega, and that yesterday found him somewhat tense, with mild headaches and chest tightness, although his blood pressure remains normal.
Neurosurgeon Emir Pérez said, meanwhile, that the tumour (meningioma brain) also expose the former strong man of Panama symptoms such as partial or generalized seizures, epilepsy and intracranial pressure, among others.
Doctors complained that prison El reborn, where is confined Noriega, 40 kilometers north of the capital, has no conditions for a patient at high risk like him, by which, according to them, your stay in this criminal is endangering his life.
The distance between the criminal also hinders his transfer to any hospital in the event of a medical emergency, they insisted the doctors, who stressed the limitations of the prison system in the field of medical care for a patient like Noriega.
Asked if these comments deserve their transfer or hospital deposit for your better health care, Reyes said that this had asked him the exgeneral lawyers and it is a formality expected response of the prison authorities.
“Medical equipment brings scientific objectivity and evidence to make the legal team request for a deposit home or deposit in private clinic”, said Reyes.
Added that they met with the team of lawyers who, as he expressed, provided “from the beginning all elements emphasizing that (Noriega) is a patient at high risk, and that his confinement in a place where they are not taking the conditions increases the chances of an early death”.
Reyes recalled that the past 17 February was suspended, without explanation, a medical evaluation that would make you to Noriega by the Institute of Legal Medicine and forensic sciences, which was important to decide his hospital arrest.
Group of doctors emphasized that the prison system would be responsible for any serious damage to the health or the accentuation of the disease of Noriega.
The past February 9, Noriega returned to jail the reborn after five days in intensive care in the HST, in the capital.
The exgeneral, who ruled de facto Panama between 1983 and 1989, returned on Dec. 11 to the country after serving 21 years in prison in United States and France for crimes of drug trafficking and money laundering.
Noriega was overthrown by an American invasion in 1989 and faces 60 years in prison sentences in Panama by various convictions related to crimes such as murder, violations of human rights and to damage to the environment. EFE
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