Washington: Former US president Jimmy Carter landed in Washington after spending two nights in an Ohio hospital, where doctors said a viral infection likely gave him stomach problems.
Carter, wearing a dark blazer, landed in a small private jet at Reagan National Airport yesterday. He walked down the steps from the plane onto the runway and stepped into an SUV that immediately drove away. An airport police car escorted his SUV and two others from the airport.
Doctors advised Carter, who turns 86 today, to remain at MetroHealth Medical Centre after he was rushed from an airplane to the emergency room on Tuesday morning with an upset stomach.
He headed to the US capital after hospital officials said the viral infection had cleared up. Carter was in Washington for a long-planned, private meeting, spokeswoman Deanna Congileo said.
Carter became ill during a flight from Atlanta to Cleveland, causing rescue crews to rush him to the hospital after the plane landed. His medical team recommended that he stay a second night for additional monitoring, hospital spokeswoman Susan Christopher said.
The hospital stay has interrupted Carter`s tour to promote his new book, "White House Diary”. Carter cancelled book signings in Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington.
Carter, a former peanut farmer elected to the White House in 1976, has worked in recent years as an advocate for peace and human rights, efforts that won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
PTI
