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DOJ’s Gonzalez in hospital battling bleeding from ulcer


(Updated 8:08 p.m.) Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez was rushed Friday to a still undisclosed private hospital in Metro Manila due to severe ulcer attack that usually eats into the blood vessels and the blood seeping into the digestive tract. In a phone interview, Gonzalez declined to reveal the name of the hospital where he was confined but said he has been on medical leave since Wednesday. "Dito lang ako sa tabi-tabi (I’m somewhere in Metro Manila)," the ailing secretary said in jest. Gonzalez, 76, has taken up residence in Valle Verde in Pasig City. In a separate phone interview with GMA-7 reporter Joseph Morong, Gonzalez said he was brought to the hospital "umagang-umaga" (very early Friday morning). Gonzalez also denied that he was brought to the intensive care unit of the hospital, but he expects to be discharged Saturday or before the end of the week. "I got a bleeding ulcer. I feel heavy but I'm alright. I'm in bed," he said in a slightly groggy voice when asked how he was feeling. He said that his physicians did not recommend that he undergo any surgery to remove the ulcers. What is bleeding ulcer? Bleeding from ulcers or gastrointestinal hemorrhage occur in the stomach and duodenum, according to online medical dictionary. If the bleeding is heavy, people will feel tired and weak. The disease is treated with several types of medicines including H2-blockers, acid pump inhibitors and mucosal protective agents. Patients could go under the knife if they fail to respond to medication or if they develop complications. Kidney problem Asked if he thinks he would be ready to return to work by Monday, he said: "[Maybe], we'll see." This is not the first time that Gonzalez has been taken to the hospital. After his trip to the hospital last April, he has started holding office at the Annex building of the DOJ instead of at the second floor. Reporters are aware that Gonzalez has a kidney problem but he has consistently kept mum about details. "Basta kidney problem daw." Recently, Morong said Gonzalez fell ill, "masama ang pakiramdam, nagsusuka. He said he didn't know he had ulcers." Before assuming the post of Justice secretary in 2002, Gonzalez had reportedly undergone dialysis treatment. The last time he was hospitalized, Gonzalez was taken to the Dr. Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center (formerly Polymedic Hospital) on EDSA in Mandaluyong City, where his wife is a stockholder. The hospital is a short distance away from the Gonzalezes' home in Valle Verde. Morong said that from the tone of his voice on Friday, Gonzalez seemed to be just mildly ill. "The sarcasm is still there." In prior illness episodes, Gonzalez had been observed to have turned serious and humorless. Radio dzBB station said it also got in touch with Gonzalez himself through a cell phone interview, although the secretary withheld details of his medical condition. He said he is optimistic that he would be out of the hospital either today (Friday) or Saturday. - GMANews.TV
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