Arroyo transferred to ICU

MANILA, Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center on Friday after several tests showed she is at risk of a heart attack.

VMMC Director Nona F. Legaspi said various tests done on Mrs. Arroyo indicated that the former president is currently suffering from "ischemia."

"Considering the forgoing, the patient is not dischargable at this time," Legaspi told reporters in a press briefing Friday afternoon.

Legaspi explained that ischemia is a condition where not enough blood is circulating in the coronary arteries due to blockage.

"Medyo ominous iyan. It is not something that you can just forego with. You have to monitor the patient. That's why we transferred her to the ICU. May medicines, the cardiologist will take care of that," she said.

"Ischemia should not be taken lightly. That can progress to full blown myocardial infarction, or in layman's term, a heart attack.," she added, noting that the former president needs to undergo further medical examinations.

Legaspi said Arroyo is not allowed to engage in any activity while inside the ICU.

"Ngayon dapat binabatanayan siya and everybody knows, I think there is no need to overemphazise that the heart is important," Legaspi said.

Arroyo was admitted to the ICU on Friday even as her arraignment for a plunder case was scheduled on Monday, October 15.

Earlier, her lawyers filed a formal written motion before the Sandiganbayan to defer the arraignment.

The motion accused the Office of the Ombudsman of committing "grave abuse of discretion" in finding probable cause in the plunder case against Mrs. Arroyo.

It said the former President plans to file a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court to nullify and set aside the resolutions of the Ombudsman finding probable cause in the case.

The lawyers argued they need more time to prepare the petition for certiorari before the SC, hence the need to defer the arraignment on Monday, October 15.

Legaspi said it remains indefinite when Arroyo could be discharged.

"In the practice of medicine you think of the worst condition until proven otherwise. In a situation where the patient is diagnosed to have ischemia, you will think of that blockage in the coronary artieres until proven otherwise," she said.

"Sometimes pwede bumalik lahat yan. It is better to put her in the ICU for monitoring and then tell 'okay, that was nothing,' rather than take it for granted and all of a sudden you are caught unaware, and it turns around."

source: abs-cbnnews.com