Ayat Sistani being diagnosed, admitted to UK hospital

By: Nabil Raza

LONDON: A team of doctors in London supervising the treatment of Ayatullah Sayyed Ali As-Sistani were deciding on Sunday if Ayatullah’s heart arteries will need a surgical operation or a treatment without a surgery.

On Saturday, Ayatullah As-Sistani was admitted to Cromwell hospital in central London.

“Upon his arrival in London, Sayyed (honorific) Sistani met with a medical team that advised him to enter a specialist hospital to undergo the necessary tests or procedures,” said a statement from the cleric's Najaf office.

Al-Imam Al-Khoei Foundation London repoprtedly made the arrangements of Ayatullah As-Sistani’s travel to Britain and his reception there.

Ayatullah Sistani arrived in Britain on Friday for treatment of heart problem accompanied by his son Sayyed Reza As-Sistani, his special Iraqi physician Dr. Majid Abd Al-Amier and his representative in Lebanon Hamid Al-Khaffaf as fighting between US troops and Moqtada As-Sadr militiamen gripped the holy city of Najaf.

Al-Khaffaf told Reuters, specialists were still evaluating the condition of the 73-year-old Ayatullah.

Asked whether Sistani would require heart surgery, Khafaf said on Sunday: “Anything is possible. We are being very specific in our statements. The Ayatullah has a heart condition and he is undergoing basic tests at the moment.”

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