Czech President Zeman's condition not serious, says Prime Minister Babiš

Prague, Sep 15 (ČTK) - The condition of President Miloš Zeman is not serious and he has been hospitalized after consultation with doctors, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) told Rádio Impuls today.

Babiš said he has been brought up to date with Zeman's current health condition. The President was driven to the Central Military Hospital (ÚVN) in Prague on Tuesday. Neither Zeman's spokesman Jiří Ovčáček nor ÚVN spokeswoman Jitka Zinke provided any reasons for Zeman's hospitalization.

"I am being kept informed about the health condition of the President. I think there is no reason for concern. His health condition has never been serious, nor is it now. He was hospitalized after a consultation with doctors," Babiš said.

"There is no need to speculate about whether or not the President has a problem," Babiš continued, also adding that it would be better if the President's spokesperson would send out a positive message about Zeman's health.

The Aktualne.cz server reported that Zeman was already in hospital on Friday for a check by his chief doctor, ÚVN director Miroslav Zavoral. The President was recommended constant care, the server wrote, and Zeman is expected to stay in the hospital until Friday.

In recent years, Zeman has been hospitalized several times. Last year, his broken arm was operated on at VÚN. A year before, Zeman was there on a convalescence stay. Zeman suffers from diabetes and neuropathy in his legs. The latter problem has seen him using a wheel-chair since earlier this year.

Zeman's predecessor, former president Václav Klaus, was also hospitalized in the same facility over the weekend. He suffers from high blood pressure. He may be released at the end of this week and spend the weekend at home, his spokesman Petr Macinka said today.

Klaus was admitted over the weekend due to problems with blood pressure and returned there on Tuesday.

Legal experts are now divided over the question of whether the public should be informed about the current president's health condition. Prominent lawyer Tomáš Sokol categorically states that Zeman's health status should not be disclosed, based on the patient's right to privacy.

Adviser for open public administration Oldřich Kužílek said the national interest should be given priority, and that when it comes to the head of state, the public has a clear right to know the reasons for hospitalization. In withholding details of the President's condition, ÚVN refers to its confidentiality obligation guaranteed by the law on healthcare services.