Dalai Lama shifted to Mumbai hospital for treatment

Dharamshala, Aug 28 (UNI) A weak and exhausted looking Dalai Lama, with complaints of stomach upset, was shifted to Mumbai's Leelawati Hospital today.

The aged Tibetan temporal head and spiritual leader, driven to the aircraft at the Kangra airport, though looking weak, slowly climbed into the specially chartered aircraft, without any one's help Prof Samdong Rinpoche, the prime minister of the Tibetan government in-exile, who saw the Dalai Lama off, denied that the spiritual leader had experienced any chest pain.

Prof Rinpoche told UNI that the Dalai Lama had few motions yesterday, resulting in weakness. Recently back from a trip to France, he was feeling ''exhausted'' following extensive touring and teaching programme that he undertook during the last few days. The Dalai Lama's planned programmes for three weeks, including a visit to Mexico and Dominica Republic, have been cancelled in view of his health, he said.

He said the health of the Dalai Lama was ''fine'' but as he had experienced uneasiness in the abdomen, his personal physician had advised rest and a medical check-up at Leelawati Hospital, where he has been taking treatment for the last five years for abdominal complaints.

Tenzin Tekla, personal secretary of the Dalai Lama, also told waiting mediapersons at Kangra airport that the Dalai Lama had been feeling discomfort for the last few days and was looking exhausted mainly due to extensive touring.

He also asserted that though ''weak the Dalai Lama was otherwise fine'' and was shifted to Mumbai for a medical check-up to ensure that everything was perfect with the Tibetan spiritual leader.

UNI XC-JN RL RAI2003