Sanders hospitalised after artery blockage
He experienced some chest discomfort during campaign event
Washington - Senator Bernie Sanders was hospitalised and treated for an artery blockage and is cancelling his events for the coming days, a campaign official said on Wednesday.
“During a campaign event yesterday evening, Senator Sanders experienced some chest discomfort,” Jeff Weaver, a longtime adviser to Sanders, said in a statement. “Following medical evaluation and testing he was found to have a blockage in one artery and two stents were successfully inserted. Senator Sanders is conversing and in good spirits. He will be resting up over the next few days. We are cancelling his events and appearances until further notice, and we will continue to provide appropriate updates.”
Sanders, 78, was travelling for a gun forum in Las Vegas that other candidates were also scheduled to attend. He was to travel to California later this week.
Weaver read the statement to staffers on a quickly assembled conference call at 10.30am ET, according to an aide on the call. No one on the staff asked questions following his statement, which the aide said Weaver read in measured tones.
Sanders has kept a brutal schedule on the campaign trail, typically holding multiple events in several cities a day. Over the weekend, he held several events at colleges in New Hampshire. Following his trips to Las Vegas and California, he had been expected to travel to Iowa this weekend, according to a campaign aide.