King Fahd recovered from pneumonia

**Mobiframe** · #1 (**permalink**) 05-30-2005, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Three days after he was taken to hospital with pneumonia and respiratory complications, Saudi Arabia's King Fahd's health is "steadily improving," Interior Minister Prince Nayef said on Sunday.

Chest X-rays showed that King Fahd, 83, has finally recovered from the pneumonia, a medical official at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh said, adding the King’s condition was “stable and improving” and his temperature is back to normal.

But the King remains in intensive care.

The health of Fahd, king since 1982, has been frail since he suffered a stroke in 1995.

The King’s half brother, Crown Prince Abdullah, has been Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader since then and is expected to become king if Fahd dies.

"Thank God his health is steadily improving," Prince Nayef said without giving details.
Asked when the king would be released, the official said, “That is for his doctors to decide.”

King Fahd was hospitalized on Friday for unspecified medical tests.

Turki Awad, a 40-year-old Defence Ministry employee, said he was reassured by Sunday’s improvements.

“We’re not worried because the king has a very good medical team treating him,” Awad said. “We hope he will be back home soon.”

Saudi newspapers published a statement issued Saturday by the royal court that said medical tests showed that the King’s health condition was “stable and reassuring.”

"The necessary medical tests were carried out and they all showed that his health condition is stable and reassuring, thank God. More examinations will be conducted at a later stage," a royal statement said on Saturday.

The statement also called on Crown Prince Abdullah to ascend the throne and for Prince Sultan, now defense minister, to become crown prince.

"Crown Prince Abdullah has been the de facto leader for around 10 years, so it's difficult to see how the policy of the kingdom would change after the king's death," one diplomat said.

Source : Aljazeera.com