Martinelli in Intensive Care

Former president, Ricardo Martinelli is in the intensive care at Santo Tomás Hospital where he is being treated for an hypertensive crisis.

Ángel Cedeño, medical director of the HST, announced this morning, June 12th, that Martinelli  was taken from El Renacer penitentiary after 11:00 pm yesterday evening.

Martinelli was transferred to the HST after returning to the prison following his appearance in a courtroom at the Supreme Court of Justice.

According to Cedeño, the former president "had all the criteria to be hospitalized." He is currently "medicated and stable".  He is awake but mildly sedated.

Cedeño said it is "unlikely" that the former president will receive a medical discharge today and return to El Renacer prison.

Jerónimo Mejía. magistrate of guarantees denied Martinelli’s request to be transferred to a private hospital  and allowed the transfer to Santo Tomás

The doctor indicated that Martinelli’s stay in the hospital will depend on how he responds to the medication.

Cedeño also commented that Martinelli is in the same area where the late ex-dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega was interned at the time, an isolated area with required security.

Mejia did say that the doctor who attended Martinelli at Renacer  is the one who suggested that he be transferred to a hospital.