Pope Francis will be discharged from hospital this Sunday

Pope Francis will be discharged from the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome this Sunday, March 23, according to doctors who have been treating him during his hospitalization.

The medical team, headed by Sergio Alfieri, director of the hospital's Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, and Luigi Carbone, deputy director and referring physician to the Holy Father, confirmed at a press conference that "tomorrow the Holy Father will be discharged, tomorrow he returns to Santa Marta."

The 88-year-old Argentinean was admitted to the hospital last February 14 due to acute respiratory failure caused by a polymicrobial infection which resulted in bilateral pneumonia.

According to the medical report, at the time of his admission he required combined pharmacological treatment, which included high-flow oxygen therapies and non-assisted mechanical ventilation.

During his stay, the Pope faced "two very critical life-threatening episodes," but the interventions managed to stabilize him significantly. Specialists stressed that at all times he was "vigilant, oriented and not intubated."

Despite his discharge, the doctors have prescribed a period of convalescence of at least two months, during which the Pope will have to continue with oral pharmacological therapies and maintain rest.

It is a "protected discharge," which implies that his return to the residence of Santa Marta will be accompanied by basic health measures, such as the use of oxygen as long as necessary.

In this regard, the doctors assured that "the Directorate of Health and Hygiene can safely offer this assistance to the Holy Father in Santa Marta."

Concerns about Pope Francis' voice

One of the aspects that generated questions among journalists was the Pope's voice, which had shown difficulties in recent days. Doctors explained that "when you have bilateral pneumonia, the lungs have been damaged and the respiratory muscles have also had problems," which affects vocal capacity.

"It's like when you use your voice too loudly," they added, noting that this symptom is common in patients of all ages, but especially in the elderly and "it will take time to get back to what it was before," however, they noted that there have been "significant improvements" in the last ten days.

As for his return to activities, the specialists indicated that Francis has continued to work during his hospitalization and plans to do so also from Santa Marta.

However, they have recommended him to avoid an immediate return and to respect the prescribed period of rest. For this reason, he is advised against meeting with groups or fulfilling important commitments until his recovery is complete and the expected clinical improvements are confirmed.

The announcement of the medical discharge has been received with relief by those who have closely followed the health of the Holy Father, whose hospitalization kept the Catholic community and the whole world in suspense.