Brasília [Brazil], December 16: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been discharged from hospital after undergoing surgery for a brain haemorrhage.
"He is stable, walking, eating and speaking normally. He had a very good post-operative phase, which was within expectations," Doctor Roberto Kalil said at a press conference in Sao Paulo on Sunday, nearly a week after the procedure at the city's Syrian-Lebanese Hospital.
The 79-year-old is to remain in Sao Paulo until at least Thursday for monitoring. He is allowed only limited physical activity over the next 15 days but can work normally from home, his doctor said.
"I'm here alive, well, with the urge to work. And I'll tell you something I used to say during the campaign. I'm 79 years old, I have the energy of a 30-year-old and the enthusiasm of a 20-year-old to build this country," Lula said.
Lula was examined in Brasília on Monday evening after experiencing headaches. An MRI scan revealed the brain haemorrhage, a result of an accident on October 19.
The president was then transferred to another unit in the same hospital in Sao Paulo, where he underwent a craniotomy to drain the haematoma.
The president, who appeared before the press upon his discharge wearing a hat, said he felt well. "I am alive, unscathed and ready to work ... I have a lot of work ahead of me."
In October, Lula suffered a cut to his head, which led him to cancel his attendance at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan. Speaking on Sunday, the president also offered his first response to the arrest of General Walter Braga Netto, in connection with investigations into an alleged coup plot.
Braga Netto, who was a defence minister in right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro's government as well as the former leader's running mate in the 2022 election, was arrested on Saturday after he was formally accused last month with 35 others - including Bolsonaro himself - of allegedly plotting a coup to keep the former president in power following his 2022 re-election loss.
Source: Qatar Tribune