Dureza is back
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:18:00 09/30/2008
Filed Under: Health, Diseases, Food
MANILA, Philippines—Press Secretary Jesus Dureza returned to the country Tuesday—three days behind schedule but just in time for his wife’s birthday—after spending a few days in a New York City hospital for food poisoning.
Still wearing a New York Presbyterian hospital wrist tag, Dureza landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport around 5:30 a.m. aboard a Philippine Airlines flight from Los Angeles, California.
“Today is the birthday of my wife and I don’t want to miss it,” Dureza said.
The Press Secretary was part of President Arroyo’s delegation when she went to New York last week for the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. The President returned to the country on Saturday while Dureza had to stay behind on orders of his doctors, who were still running several tests to determine what caused the ailment.
Dureza said he had upset stomach after taking a slice of pizza and a glass of ginger ale at a pizza joint. He was later taken to the hospital for suspected food poisoning.
“It was my first time to land in a hospital, and in America at that,” said Dureza, who replaced Ignacio Bunye as press secretary three months ago.
Dureza said he went to the Fifth Avenue restaurant for a late lunch after accompanying President Arroyo to several bilateral meetings with different world leaders.
“After eating, I started feeling the pain in my stomach. I took an antacid but it did not help ease the pain,” Dureza said. He said he called Davao City to get advice from his sister who is a doctor.
“After describing to her what I was feeling, my sister told me to immediately go to the hospital as it might be a heart attack,” Dureza said.
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