BY RAPHAEL ONYEKACHUKWU, ENUGU – Concerns over the deteriorating health of Second Republic Vice President and elder statesman, Dr Alex Ekwueme, heightened on Sunday morning as he was flown abroad for further medical treatment.
Ekwueme has been in the intensive care medical unit of a private hospital, Memfys Hospital of Neurosurgery, Enugu, for what the family attributed to chest inflection.
He was rushed to the hospital shortly after collapsing and lapsing into a coma at his resident within Independence Layout area of Enugu on October 29, with family sources hinting that the one time Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant was initially put on life support.
Forefront reliably gathered that doctors had advised that he should not be moved abroad for treatment until they stabilised his condition.
A white air ambulance, with registration number N605 AJ, which flew the elder statesman out of the country, departed the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, around 8:30 am on Sunday with a close family member and the family doctor on board.
The air ambulance had waited on the tarmac for about 12 hours before the ailing Ekwueme was brought to the airport in a National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, SUV ambulance at about 7:40 am.
However, the flight destination was not clear as of the time of filing this report as family sources did not disclose which hospital and country the ex-Vice President would be receiving treatment.
Though sources at Memfys Hospital also refused to provide information on the trip, it was gathered that the air ambulance had arrived the airport on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, the authorities of Federal Polytechnic Oke has prayed for the Octogenarian’s quick recovery even as it lauded the Federal Government’s decision to fly him abroad for treatment.
The Polytechnic in a statement by its public relations officer, Mr Obini Obini thanked the Federal government for the gesture and even the family for accepting it.
