Sharon out of immediate danger

2006-01-10 18:35

Jerusalem - Doctors bringing Ariel Sharon out of a medically induced coma declared on Tuesday that the Israeli prime minister's s life was no longer in danger and that there were increased signs of activity in his brain.

The 77-year-old Sharon remains in the intensive care unit at Jerusalem's Hadassah hospital after having a massive brain haemorrhage six days ago.

"The prime minister's condition is serious, but there is no immediate danger to the prime minister's life," said Sharon's anaesthetist Yoram Weiss.

"Most of the medication has been withdrawn but there is still medication in his blood," Weiss said, specifying that it would take a few more days before the sedation was lifted entirely.

"Since yesterday (on Monday)the prime minister has been breathing spontaneously.

"He is on a respirator but he is the one who is operating the respirator," he said.

The hospital's director, Shlomo Mor Yosef, told the news conference that Sharon had moved his left hand for the first time and had managed to move his right arm more than in an initial stimulus test on Monday.

"The prime minister moved his right hand and right arm with bigger movement than yesterday. He also moved his left hand," said Mor Yosef.

"These are neurological changes that show a slight progress in the brain function of the prime minister, Ariel Sharon," he said.

Medics have said only the right-hand side of Sharon's brain, which controls the left side of his body, was affected in the brain haemorrhage and the latest movement may indicate he has retained more brain function than first thought.

Weiss was reluctant to be drawn on the prime minister's long-term prospects.

"I believe that all of us need to be patient," said the anaesthetist.

"We are not prophets," he said.

Reports said that Mozart, one of Sharon's favourite composers, was being played round the clock and his sense of smell stimulated with slow roasted meat.

- AFP