The President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias traveled to the United States in order to receive special treatment on his vocal cords, the Presidential Press Office disclosed. Dr. Arias, 68, has been on sick leave since May 12, when an acute problem made him lose his voice. The official release was very brief and did not provide any details on the President’s ailment. His spokesperson Michelle Mitchell argued that it is a “private” trip in order to get medical treatment and that “out of respect for the President’s privacy,” it was decided not to disclose where he will be treated. However, it was later disclosed that the President was treated in Philadelphia and that he was diagnosed with a benign cyst on his vocal cords. Apparently, he will not undergo surgery, but has to abstain from speaking for four weeks. Vice-President Laura Chinchilla is the acting President of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica became the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean whose operating rooms incorporate a list of procedures to lower adverse events from surgery, such as infections and bleeding not linked to the patient’s ailment. These procedures are already operative at hospitals in the United States, Canada, France, Germany and Space. Promoted by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, the strategy fits perfectly within the Costa Rican National Program for the Safety of Patients.
