The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : I will be fighting fit in a month, says Kumaraswamy

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Saturday, Dec 29, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

I will be fighting fit in a month, says Kumaraswamy

Special Correspondent

The former Chief Minister will be discharged from the hospital on Saturday
‘I postponed decision to undergo the surgery fearing disruption in administration’

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Wishing him speedy recovery: Supporters of former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy meeting him in the hospital in Bangalore on Friday.

BANGALORE: The former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who underwent an open heart surgery recently, will be discharged from the hospital on Saturday. On the eve of his discharge, Mr. Kumaraswamy spoke to presspersons and said he would be fighting fit in one month’s time and would be ready for taking on the challenges that the forthcoming elections would pose.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said he had sensed the coronary problem a year ago and during the elections to the Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency in Mysore. He had felt the need of a surgery according to his doctor’s advice. “But I kept postponing the decision to undergo surgery fearing disruption in administration when I was Chief Minister,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said.

He said during the 20 months he had been Chief Minister, he had neglected his health and his personal life. There were times when he had lunch in the night and dinner in the early hours of the next day. “I went to remote places in the State where no other Chief Minister had gone and had jeopardised my health against the wishes of my family, my doctors and well wishers. I don’t regret it even for a minute but am sad I may not be able to work as vigorously for the welfare of the people as I used to do,” he said.

Adding a tinge of humour, Mr. Kumaraswamy stated that “ours is a regional party and cannot afford to be away from people even for a day, while some national parties can afford the luxury of going to people only when needed.”

Mr. Kumaraswamy said it had pained him when some doubts were raised as to why he had chosen a private hospital while the government Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology was also available for him.

He had chosen Wockhardt Hospital because he did not want to cause inconvenience to the common people who have been admitted to the Jayadeva Institute.

Through out the press conference Mr. Kumaraswamy was sweating despite the air conditioning. When the press conference had reached a conclusive stage, his doctor, Vivek Javali, took the mike from him and said “enough,” an order Mr. Kumaraswamy reluctantly agreed to.

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