• Submitted by: admin
• Health and Medicine
• 04 / 24 / 2007

St Vincent and the Grenadines' Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves is now resting comfortably in a Cuban hospital after undergoing foot surgery.

Dr Gonsalves said he is "feeling fine" and is expected to remain in the hospital for another week.

The surgery was to be performed Monday, but Dr Gonsalves said it was brought forward. He did not say why.

Acting Prime Minister, Sir Louis Straker, said the surgery became necessary, following Dr Gonsalves' last visit to Cuba when it was discovered he had a problem in one of his legs.

Dr Gonsalves was flown to Cuba after he was involved in a vehicular accident on April 9, 2007.

Dr Gonsalves was on his way into Kingstown from North Windward, when a truck driven by Gideon 'Junior' Huggins hit the vehicle he was in. Sergeant Zaccheus Parris, the driver of Dr Gonsalves' vehicle, received a fracture to his neck and shoulder.

He is also in Cuba with Dr Gonsalves and was visited by Fidel Castro's personal orthopedic surgeon, while in hospital.

When he is released from the hospital, Dr Gonsalves says it will be about three weeks before his walking gets back to normal.

The PM also says he has been placed on a strict diet "in an effort to lose some weight."

The accident also caused the dislocation of two of Dr Gonsalves' front teeth and he is to do remedial surgery this Saturday to bring them back in line.