Haiti – Politics: The President Martelly said he came close to death
The Haitian President Michel Martelly said that through the grace of God he is alive. “I’m not dead because God was not ready for me to die,” said Martelly this Wednesday, April 25, 17:00, in an interview on the show “Carrefour” hosted by Alex Saint Surin, live broadcast on Radio Mega, North Miami Beach.
It was Martelly’s first public appearance since he arrived in Miami nine days ago seeking treatment for pain after shoulder surgery earlier this month. Martelly looked healthy but tired as he recounted his near-death experience that at one point had a team of six doctors in Haiti keeping vigil over him.
“My health situation was complicated. I was very near death. I prepared to accept it because the pain was too hard. I’m not dead because God is by my side”, testified that the President Martelly said he now returned to 99.9%.
“I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t stand. I couldn’t lay down, I couldn’t do anything,” Martelly said. “My stomach was compressed. It felt as if three people were pressing down on it.”
Claiming to have been closer to death than life, the tenant of the National Palace, however, reported to be waiting for final instructions from his doctors in Florida before taking the plane to return to Haiti to continue his mission as head State.
“I expect only the last instructions of my doctors before flying. For now, I can not travel in any conditions to the extent that the problem I had, has to do with the altitude”, said Mr. Martelly, greeting in passing all the medical team who had supported.
That was 2 AM on April 15, Martelly said. By the next afternoon, he was on a flight to Miami. He spent two days at the University of Miami Hospital. Dr. Reginald Pereira, who joined Martelly on the broadcast, said he’s awaiting additional tests before he allows the president to return to Haiti. Martelly has been recovering at a Miami hotel since leaving the hospital on April 18.
Martelly conceded that the flight was a fatal risk but said he did not know what he had until doctors diagnosed him, claimed he feared complication as a health due to a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot in the lungs.
We had thought of a “pulmonary embolism” detected an unconfirmed diagnosis in Haiti. But arriving in Miami, the scanner has rather shown what we call “pulmonary infarction” less dangerous that caused pain to the president, has made it clear on the other hand, one of her doctors while confirming that its health condition is normal.
The radio interview was aimed at quelling rumors that had Martelly either in a coma, dead, or not sick at all. Senate President Simon Desras told The Miami Herald he plans to form a commission to officially assess the status of Martelly’s health.
“No one knows in which hospital the president was in, what he suffers from,” Desras said. “There is a void. No one knows who is running the country.”
Martelly, who also spoke of his record this past year, insisted that he has remained in control despite his illness. But during his absence, a heightened sense of insecurity has plagued Haiti as the country skated from one troubling incident to another. The day after Martelly arrived in Miami, a rogue army disrupted a session in parliament, demanding to speak to lawmakers.
Welcoming the members of the government and people of Haiti, the first citizen of the nation has said the country would not die because of his absence. Because, he said: “There are many people in Haiti who want to walk in the logic of my dream for Haiti and for the happiness of the Haitian people.”
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