By IANS,
New Delhi/Dharamsala : Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, who was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram hospital in New Delhi after severe abdominal pain, underwent an operation for removal of gallstones Friday morning, his aide said.
“The Dalai Lama underwent a minor procedure this morning (Friday) at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for removing stones from the gallbladder. There is no cause for worry. The doctors have advised him bed rest for a few more days in the hospital,” Tenzin Taklha, a senior aide to the exiled leader, told IANS.
On Monday, the 73-year-old Nobel laureate’s office in Dharamsala – the Himachal Pradesh town where the Tibetan government-in-exile has its headquarters – had said the Dalai Lama would reach the capital for a routine medical check-up.
“On the advice of his personal physicians, he is going to Delhi for a routine medical examination… no need to worry,” Thubten Samphel, a spokesperson for the Tibetan government-in-exile, said.
“He (the Dalai Lama) is likely to go back to routine affairs by the end of this month and there is no change to his planned visit to Japan in November,” Taklha said.
The Dalai Lama has been going through repeated medical tests since August and has cancelled some trips outside India. He was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai twice in August after he complained of “abdominal discomfort”.
US President George W. Bush had telephoned the spiritual guru to inquire about his health last month.
In recent years, doctors have increased the medical examinations on him to ensure that the Tibetan spiritual leader is in good health.
He made his first public appearance after nearly one month during a teaching ceremony at McLeodganj near Dharamsala Sep 25.
The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. His government-in-exile is not recognised by any country.