TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe underwent a medical at the hospital on Monday, a government source said, thanks to concerns raised by a senior official that the prime minister could suffer from treating the coronavirus pandemic.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives at his residence when he returns from Keio University Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo, August 17, 2020. Mandatory credit Kyodo / via REUTERS
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, arrived at the hospital after about seven-and-a-half hours, news agency Kyodo said.
The agency quoted a source at Abe’s office as saying, “Abe underwent several checks because he had all day (for free) on a weekday”, claiming that nothing was wrong with the prime minister.
Public Health Minister Katsunobu Kato, a close aide, said he understood it was a regular check-up and he was “not at all” concerned about Abe’s health.
“All I know is media reports. And I understand that it was reported as a regular check, ”Kato told reporters.
Abe receives a regular checkup twice a year, with his most on June 13, Kyodo said, adding that Monday’s visit was a continuation of the June checkup, with a source from the hospital.
The hospital visit follows remarks over the weekend by Akira Amari, chairwoman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s ruling tax panel, that Abe, 65, could suffer from fatigue due to his ongoing work on the response to the virus.
“I want him to take a break,” Amari told a Fuji TV news program on Sunday. “He has a strong sense of responsibility and feels it is wrong to take a break.”
Abe, who has been in his second stint as prime minister since 2012, resigned his first term in 2007 due to battles with ulcerative colitis, which he now keeps under control with drugs not previously available.
Japanese media have been speculating this month about Abe’s health, including detailed reports on Abe’s running speed. Weekly Flash said Abe had spilled blood in his office on July 6. Reuters could not verify the report.
“I see the Prime Minister every day, and I think he has no (health) problems at all because he has performed his duties smoothly,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference on August 5 in response to questions. who follow the report.
Abe has resigned regularly in recent weeks and was last seen in public on Saturday at a ceremony in Tokyo commemorating the defeat of World War II.
He had his check-up at Keio University Hospital of Tokyo, the source familiar with the situation told Reuters.
There are no reports that Abe is unable to carry out his duties, but should that ever be the case, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, who is acting Minister of Finance, would take over.
Report by Yoshifumi Takemoto, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Chris Gallagher, Antoni Slodkowski, Tetsushi Kajimoto; Additional Reporting by Linda Sieg; Written by Chris Gallagher; Edited by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Clarence Fernandez and Nick Macfie
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