Pranab recuperating, says he's fine

Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee today issued a personal message informing those concerned about his health that he was fine.

Mukherjee, the seniormost Congressman in both Houses of Parliament and an important pointsman for the government in dealings with the Left parties, who was hurt on the scalp in a road accident on Saturday, said in his message that he was fine. Doctors had advised him 48-hour rest and he would return to work after the prescribed period, his message read.

A bulletin said his wound was sutured at a primary health centre and he was evaluated by a team of Army and civil specialists. It also said that a team of Army doctors looked after him in Krishnanagar, West Bengal. "CT Brain was normal. He has been airlifted to the Army Hospital (R&R) in New Delhi on 8 April (Sunday). At present, he is quite well and cheerful and all his vital parameters are normal. There is no cause for any concern," it said.

To make sure Mukherjee got the attention he is entitled to, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself met him at the airport and reviewed his health bulletin. In a government where a number of ministers are ailing and tend to be more comfortable working from home, Mukherjee, who is in the thick of negotiations with both "" the US, on the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement, and with Pakistan "" has taken care to send a public message that there is nothing seriously wrong with him.