PM Lee joins well-wishers in expressing concern for former president S R Nathan

By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, The Straits Times, 23 Apr 2015

Good wishes have poured in for former president S R Nathan, after news broke of his hospitalisation following a stroke last Tuesday.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong joined the well-wishers on Thursday, saying in a Facebook post that he was saddened to learn last week that Mr Nathan had suffered a stroke.

Was saddened to learn last week that Mr S R Nathan had suffered a stroke. Ho Ching and I visited him in hospital on...
Posted by Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday, April 22, 2015

He and his wife Ho Ching visited Mr Nathan at the Singapore General Hospital last Friday.

"We were glad to see him sitting up, and in good spirits. He has always been a fighter," wrote Mr Lee. "Hope he continues to recover well."

Was saddened to learn last week that Mr S R Nathan had suffered a stroke. Ho Ching and I visited him in hospital on...

The post gained over 13,000 likes and more than 400 comments, with netizens wishing Mr Nathan well.

Others also took to social media to express their concern for Mr Nathan and to wish him a speedy recovery.

On Wednesday, President Tony Tan said on Facebook that he and his wife had earlier this week visited Mr Nathan, who was "in good spirits and looking forward to being discharged".

My wife and I were both very concerned when we learnt that former President Mr S R Nathan was warded last Tuesday for...

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, too, visited Mr Nathan in the hospital, and found him alert and clear-headed, he said on Facebook.

Mr Nathan is also able to speak normally and move his hands freely.

"He is making good recovery from his stroke and should be discharged soon," said Mr Goh.

Visited S R Nathan in hospital and happy to find him alert, clear-headed and able to speak normally. He is also able to...

The People's Action Party has started a #getwellsoonSRNathan hashtag on its social media accounts.

Former president S R Nathan was discharged from the Singapore General Hospital on Saturday and is resting at home, about three weeks after he suffered a stroke. http://str.sg/32u
Posted by The Straits Times on Saturday, May 2, 2015

Former president Nathan in hospital after stroke
By Walter Sim, The Straits Times, 23 Apr 2015

FORMER president S R Nathan, 90, has been warded in Singapore General Hospital after he suffered a stroke on April 14.

"He is recovering and is now undergoing therapy," his family said in a statement yesterday.

President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have both visited Mr Nathan in hospital.

In a Facebook post last night, Dr Tan said he and his wife were "very concerned" after learning that Mr Nathan had suffered a haemorrhage in the brain, one of the causes of stroke.

"We are relieved that his condition has since stabilised. When we visited him at the hospital earlier this week, we were happy to see that he was in good spirits and looking forward to being discharged," Dr Tan said.

He added: "We wish Mr Nathan a speedy and full recovery and the very best of health."

A source close to Mr Nathan told The Straits Times yesterday: "He's doing well. But just like before, his ability to walk is not so strong. The therapists are trying to make him stronger."

Mr Nathan, who had often been seen taking walks in East Coast Park, told The Straits Times in an interview earlier this year that he had not been able to take such walks for more than six months.

He said at the time: "I cannot walk any distance. My health is not good. I became breathless and tired. But my mind is okay."

In the interview, which was published in February, he said he had been "free of all the responsibilities" since stepping down as president in August 2011, but added: "I kill time by keeping myself engaged and my mind occupied."

Mr Nathan's public service career spanned five decades, culminating in his election as president in 1999, at age 75.

He went on to become the country's longest-serving head of state, serving two six-year terms until he stepped down in 2011.

Before that, Mr Nathan had been a social worker, trade union activist and diplomat.

When the Laju passenger ferry was hijacked in 1974, Mr Nathan led the negotiations to secure the eventual release of all the hostages on board.

In 2013, he became only the seventh person in Singapore's history to be conferred the nation's top National Day honour - the Order of Temasek (First Class).