Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in intensive care with 'respiratory problems' in Milan
5 April 2023, 13:11 | Updated: 5 April 2023, 13:22
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been admitted to hospital in Milan.
Italian media reported that he was in an intensive care unit (ICU) suffering from respiratory problems.
The 86-year-old three-time leader was admitted to the San Raffaele hospital, where he routinely receives care, said spokesman Paolo Emilio Russo.
There was no confirmation of reports from the LaPresse news agency, Sky TG24 and Corriere della Sera that he was in the cardiac ICU.
Mr Berlusconi has had a series of health problems in recent years, and recovered from Covid-19 in 2020.
He told reporters after being discharged from a 10-day hospital stay that the disease had been "insidious" and was the most dangerous challenge he had faced.
He has had a pacemaker for years, underwent heart surgery to replace an aortic valve in 2016 and has overcome prostate cancer.
Mr Berlusconi had been to San Raffaele, where his personal doctor works, for a regular check-up for several days last week.
In a March 31 tweet after he returned home, Mr Berlusconi thanked "all those who wanted to send a thought or sign of affection in these days".
He said he was already back at work "ready and determined to commit myself as I've always done to the country I love".
