KUALA LUMPUR – Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has revealed that he will have to remain hospitalised for another two weeks after recently undergoing surgery to his spinal cord.
Rafizi, who is also PKR deputy president, said that while he would normally avoid publicly sharing personal matters such as the condition of his health, he is aware that there are “friends” who are concerned about his well being.
“In the third week of January, I got (infected with) Covid-19. I had never gotten it before that. As a result of lying down for a few days, the pressure on my spine caused a slipped disc,” the minister said in a Facebook post today.
He added that the situation worsened in a matter of weeks, leading to his using a wheelchair as he was unable to walk without suffering extreme pain.
“The MRI diagnosis showed spinal cord stenosis, where compression from the slipped disc and the ligament on the spine caused a narrowing and constant pressure on nerve passages.
“Alhamdulillah, the surgery to cut part of the ligament and slipped disc to make room for the nerves went well, and I was able to walk again,” Rafizi said, expressing his thanks to the Universiti Putra Malaysia Medical Centre specialists and staff members who had treated him.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim paid a visit to Rafizi at the executive ward of the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Hospital in Serdang.
Last October, Rafizi was rushed to the University Malaya Medical Centre after suffering a heart attack. It was reported that he underwent a stent placement for his heart.
Meanwhile, Rafizi also said today that he is expected to return to office in March, during which his podcast, Yang Bakar Menteri, will resume production.
The minister said that he will first have to obtain feedback from Anwar and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi before confirming, among others, ex-Umno man Isham Jalil and party supreme council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi’s attendance on the show.
“I’m interested to hear their (Isham and Puad’s) ideas on how to steer the nation through current global economic challenges.
“However, as is proper in an organisation, I will have to get feedback from the prime minister and deputy minister first. InsyaAllah, we will know (about their attendance for the podcast) by March.” – February 19, 2024