Failing health? PA hires cardiologist to monitor President Abbas

The heart specialist, a German-Palestinian, has been working at the PA presidential headquarters in Ramallah alongside Abbas’s longtime personal doctor for the past month.

By ADAM RASGON
Updated: MARCH 23, 2018 00:49
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (photo credit: REUTERS)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A cardiologist was recently added to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s staff to monitor his health, a Palestinian source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
The heart specialist, a German-Palestinian, has been working at the PA presidential headquarters in Ramallah alongside Abbas’s longtime personal doctor for approximately the past month, the source said in a phone call.
The Associated Press first reported that the cardiologist was added to Abbas’s staff.
The addition of a cardiologist to Abbas’s staff comes after the 82-year-old leader underwent medical checks last month at a hospital in the United States.
Abbas told official PA television that he received “positive and reassuring” results for the checks, without elaborating.
Senior Fatah official Jabril Rajoub told official PA television on March 10 that the checks involved a biopsy. Rajoub said the results of the biopsy show Abbas is healthy.
Biopsies are typically performed to analyze possible abnormalities that appear on x-rays or scans, according to a US-based radiologist.
In October 2016, Abbas underwent a cardiac catheterization – a procedure used to diagnose and treat heart problems, which doctors said showed normal results.