News / National
Mugabe's sister still in intensive care since 2010
23 Jun 2013 at 08:56hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's sister, Bridgette, who was admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital in 2010, is still in the intensive care unit at the health centre.
On August 10 this year, she will make three years in hospital.
Bridgette, the only surviving sibling of Mugabe, collapsed at the burial of her sister Sabina at the National Heroes Acre in Harare in 2010.
Family spokesperson Leo Mugabe told The Standard it was a very difficult situation for the whole family.
"She has been the same and we cannot tell if she is responding to medication or not because she cannot talk," family spokesperson, Leo Mugabe said.
"I think she still has her sense of feeling, because when you hold her hand you can feel it move, as if she is returning your handshake."
He also said that they do not know what was really going on and they would be really grateful if she was able to narrate what she was going through.
Her case is similar to that of Ariel Sharon (84), who led Israel from 2001 until suffering a stroke in 2006.
He is still connected to a respirator.
The former Israel Prime Minister recently showed brain activity prompting his doctors to suggest that he might wake up from his coma.
According to health experts a coma is a state of unconsciousness and the person cannot be awoken as they lack the normal sleep-wake cycle.
A coma patient may appear awake but they are unable to consciously speak, hear or move and injury to neurological components contributes to a comatose state.
A person in a coma can retain basic life support functions, such as breathing and circulation.
It is possible that people can recover fully, whereas some may require lifelong physical and occupational therapy and others may only recover basic functions.
On August 10 this year, she will make three years in hospital.
Bridgette, the only surviving sibling of Mugabe, collapsed at the burial of her sister Sabina at the National Heroes Acre in Harare in 2010.
Family spokesperson Leo Mugabe told The Standard it was a very difficult situation for the whole family.
"She has been the same and we cannot tell if she is responding to medication or not because she cannot talk," family spokesperson, Leo Mugabe said.
"I think she still has her sense of feeling, because when you hold her hand you can feel it move, as if she is returning your handshake."
He also said that they do not know what was really going on and they would be really grateful if she was able to narrate what she was going through.
Her case is similar to that of Ariel Sharon (84), who led Israel from 2001 until suffering a stroke in 2006.
He is still connected to a respirator.
The former Israel Prime Minister recently showed brain activity prompting his doctors to suggest that he might wake up from his coma.
According to health experts a coma is a state of unconsciousness and the person cannot be awoken as they lack the normal sleep-wake cycle.
A coma patient may appear awake but they are unable to consciously speak, hear or move and injury to neurological components contributes to a comatose state.
A person in a coma can retain basic life support functions, such as breathing and circulation.
It is possible that people can recover fully, whereas some may require lifelong physical and occupational therapy and others may only recover basic functions.
Source - Standard
