Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today underwent a surgery for persistent cough that has troubled him for over 40 years, the hospital here where he is being treated said.
The surgery corrected an anatomical abnormality of his oral-pharyngeal and palatal area, which was causing small amounts of saliva to trickle into his air passages whenever his nose breathing was affected by allergy or other factors, Narayana Health City said in a statement.
Noting that the surgery was uneventful, the hospitalsaid soon after recovery Kejriwal spoke to his family membersand had a few sips of water.
He is expected to be fully functional in a couple ofdays although recovery of such a long standing problem withits own functional accommodation will be gradual, the statement added.
Paul C Salins, Medical Director & VicePresident - Mazumdar Shaw Medical Center, Narayana Health City, made the diagnosis initially on the basis of observing the pattern of his bouts of coughing, it said.
It was confirmed by detailed computer analytics of cephalometrics, modeling simulation, as also dynamic MRI and Video Fluroscopic examinations, the statement said.
Kejriwal had arrived in the city yesterday to undergo the surgery.
The AAP leader had earlier undergone naturotherapy treatment twice at city's Jindal Institute for cough and sugar level.
Restricted space for the movement of his tongue and an enlarged soft palate and uvula in relation to a slight increase in the volume of the tongue caused kinematic problemsin function, the hospital said.
The surgery involved correction of a significant septal and the palato-pharyngeal correction along with repositioning the tongue base relationship by reorganisation of the chin area, it said.
According to the hospital, the aim of the correctionwas functional restoration.
Kejriwal said the Delhi government was exploring
accepting Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in Delhi's pavilion at the International Trade Fair but decided against it as any such decision falls under the jurisdiction of the Centre.
"The amount of corruption and black money generated in the last four days has surpassed the amount that was amassed in the last four months. The scheme has acted as a tonic for racketeers and brokers.
"He (Modi) has three best friends Ambani, Adani and Sharad Pawar. He took Pawar's blessings to fight black money yesterday. There cannot be a bigger irony.
"Modiji talks of arranging a wedding in Rs 24,000. How much money was spent in Jaitleyji's daughter's wedding? They spend in crores and ask us to spend Rs 24,000," he said, flashing a Rs 50 note at the end of the presser, saying "this is all what I am left with".
The Delhi Chief Minister said the scheme could have been implemented in a better way and wondered why the country's 125 crore people were being targeted instead of the "few lakhs".
"How are the traders going to continue their business when the withdrawal limit is so low. What about the farmers who are supposed to harvest their crop in the next one week," he asked.
