Detained Sen. Leila de Lima arrived at the Manila Doctors Hospital Saturday morning for immediate checkup reportedly after she “experienced a Transient Ischemic Attack (mild stroke).”
She was escorted by police from her detention facility at Camp Crame in Quezon City to the hospital after two Muntinlupa courts issued orders on April 23 allowing her to have a three-day medical furlough.
De Lima filed a very urgent motion for medical furlough on April 23 after she complained of bouts of headaches and persistent generalized weakness.
Her on-call physician, Dr. Meophilia G. Santos-Cao, examined her on April 21.
“The examination by Dr. Santos-Cao left an impression that Accused De Lima experienced a Transient Ischemic Attack (mild stroke), hence the urgent and extremely important need to rule out a cerebrovascular accident,” according to the motion. A cerebrovascular accident, or CVA, is another term for stroke.
Santos-Cao said De Lima needs to undergo “an immediate Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with contrast” to have “a full and accurate evaluation of her current state of health.”
“The Manila Doctors Hospital is best suited to admit the Accused as the institution already is privy to her medical history, and it is the primary hospital of her other doctors who are consultants there,” De Lima’s motion added.
Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 Presiding Judge Liezel Aquiatan and Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 256 Presiding Judge Romeo Buenaventura granted De Lima’s request for health and humanitarian reasons.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, a TIA “is a temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke. A TIA usually lasts only a few minutes and doesn't cause permanent damage.”
It added, “Often called a ministroke, a transient ischemic attack may be a warning. About 1 in 3 people who has a transient ischemic attack will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the transient ischemic attack.”
Last February, De Lima was confined at the same hospital for checkup and tests.
“I thank the Almighty God for my continued good health and high spirit. From the known results of the executive check-up (CT Scan, various Ultrasound, Pap Smear, X-Ray, ECG, 2D Echo, Mammogram, Colonoscopy etc.) during my 24-hour medical furlough, I suffer from no serious or alarming health condition,” she said after her discharge on
Feb. 12.