News / Africa
Mandela hospitalised
09 Mar 2013 at 19:28hrs | Views
Former South African President Nelson Mandela has been admitted to hospital for a scheduled check-up, the South African presidency says.
Doctors are conducting tests and have so far indicated that there is no reason for any alarm, the presidency said on its website.
The 94-year-old spent 18 days in hospital in December.
He was treated for a lung infection and gallstones. His health has been a cause of concern for many years.
The message posted by President Jacob Zuma's office said Mr Mandela had been admitted for a check-up at a Pretoria hospital on Saturday afternoon.
It said the aim was "to manage existing conditions in line with his age".
Mr Mandela served as South Africa's first black president from 1994 to 1999 and is widely regarded as the father of the nation for leading the struggle against apartheid and for democracy.
He first contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while detained in Robben Island prison.
He has been admitted to hospital on three occasions in the past two years. In January 2011, he was treated for a chest infection in Johannesburg.
During his latest stay in hospital, President Zuma at one point described his condition as "serious", but added that he was responding to treatment.
The former president has been rarely seen in public since retiring from public life in 2004.
Doctors are conducting tests and have so far indicated that there is no reason for any alarm, the presidency said on its website.
The 94-year-old spent 18 days in hospital in December.
He was treated for a lung infection and gallstones. His health has been a cause of concern for many years.
The message posted by President Jacob Zuma's office said Mr Mandela had been admitted for a check-up at a Pretoria hospital on Saturday afternoon.
Mr Mandela served as South Africa's first black president from 1994 to 1999 and is widely regarded as the father of the nation for leading the struggle against apartheid and for democracy.
He first contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while detained in Robben Island prison.
He has been admitted to hospital on three occasions in the past two years. In January 2011, he was treated for a chest infection in Johannesburg.
During his latest stay in hospital, President Zuma at one point described his condition as "serious", but added that he was responding to treatment.
The former president has been rarely seen in public since retiring from public life in 2004.
Source - BBC
