Fit as a “young boy,” Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley returns home from California next Tuesday, having not had to do any heart surgery and “with all the characteristics of a young person.”
This was the description conveyed by Acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert yesterday as he announced Rowley’s anticipated return.
Rowley, who turns 70 in October, went to California 10 days ago - Carnival Tuesday - to do heart tests on soft plaque which had been found in his artery in 2016 and subsequently discovered to have gotten bigger. Prior to his departure, Rowley had said his local doctor told him on February 18 that the matter needed immediate attention.
While in California - a location where he’d undergone Prostate Specifica Antigen (PSA) tests in 2016- Rowley underwent batches of tests on March 6 and 9 and up to Monday gone.
On Tuesday, Rowley posted a Facebook picture with his cardiologist - all smiles - saying he was told that day there’s no need for surgery. However, he said he’d remain under observation a few more days and return home soon.
At yesterday’s post-Cabinet media conference, Imbert said Rowley will be returning via a Caribbean Airlines flight from New York.
Imbert said, “I’m advised by the Prime Minister that his test procedures went very well. The Facebook posting that appeared was accurate: the Prime Minister doesn’t require surgery and we’re thankful our prayers have been answered and we look forward to his return Tuesday.
“I just got a little update that he’s doing very well. He just did a stress test and has ‘all the characteristics of a young person’ - that’s what I’m told,” Imbert added, smiling.
“So that’s very good news for us. Our prayers have been answered.”
On a recent Reuters report about Trinidad Petroleum’s talks with overseas financiers, Imbert said the talks with the financiers and rating agencies are going well. He said the talks were on refinancing of Petrotrin’s US$850 million bond and to raise finance for Trinidad Petroleum’s operations. The company is the holding company which succeeded Petrotrin, which was restructured last year.
The bond is due for payment in August. Another US$750m bond is due in 2022. Imbert said financiers were seeing potential in the company.
—Gail Alexander