Havel Faces Bout With Pneumonia, Newspaper Reports

President Vaclav Havel, who had surgery last year for lung cancer, was hospitalized last week with pneumonia, a newspaper reported Saturday.

Havel’s wife, Dagmar, said it is her 61-year-old husband’s second bout of pneumonia since August and that she is worried about his health, the Pravo daily said.

She and Havel’s doctor, Ilja Kotik, told Pravo the president spent Wednesday night in Prague’s military hospital. Kotik would not confirm that Havel suffered from pneumonia.

On Thursday, Havel was diagnosed with a viral infection. Spokesman Ladislav Spacek said the infection had aggravated the president’s chronic bronchitis and that he was being treated with antibiotics.

Spacek said Havel remained at home and was not hospitalized.

Havel had surgery last December to remove a half-inch malignant tumor and half of his right lung. He developed pneumonia, and doctors performed a tracheotomy to help him breathe. He remained on a respirator for several days.

Because of his illness, Havel will not make his regular weekly radio address today.