On Thursday, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that Pope Francis' doctor found the pontiff with his eyes open and breathing normally but with no vital signs when he was summoned to the Vatican early Monday morning.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri oversaw Francis's five-week hospital treatment for double pneumonia and continued to monitor the pope's condition after his return to the Vatican on March 23 for a two-month rest to fully recover.
At 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Dr. Alfieri received a message from Francis' medical assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, that Francis was feeling unwell and needed to be taken to the hospital immediately.
The doctor told Corriere that he arrived in 20 minutes.
“I walked into his room and he opened his eyes. I noticed he had no trouble breathing, so I tried to call him, but he didn't respond,” Dr. Alfieri is quoted as saying, adding that his lungs were clear and he was receiving supplemental oxygen. “He also didn't respond to stimuli, not even painful ones.
“At that moment I realized there was nothing more I could do. He was in a coma.”
Dr Alfieri said it was too risky to transport Francis back to Gemelli Hospital, where he was treated for a complex respiratory infection that twice brought him to the brink of life.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
