SINGAPORE - Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Marine Parade GRC MP Edwin Tong underwent a medical procedure on Tuesday to fix a blocked coronary artery, a major artery that supplies blood to the heart.
In a Facebook post, Mr Tong, 53, said he had an angiogram – a scan that shows blood flow through the arteries and veins – on Tuesday morning before undergoing an angioplasty on his left anterior descending artery, which was then stented to restore blood flow.
An angioplasty uses a balloon to unclog a narrowed or blocked artery, which is then followed by the permanent insertion of the stent – a short wire mesh tube – to allow for better blood flow.
Mr Tong, who is also Second Minister for Law, added that his doctors had discovered the artery to be severely blocked during a routine health check.
“I am neither diabetic nor a smoker, have maintained pretty good cholesterol levels and (am) definitely not sedentary when it comes to daily activities and exercise,” he added.
“So it was quite a shock for me to find out about the extent of the blockage and the risks which it put me under.”
Expressing his gratitude to his doctors and the nursing team for looking after him brilliantly, Mr Tong said he will now recuperate, take things a little slower, and work from home as much as possible before getting back to his usual routine.
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He added that he had to cut down on some of his events and meetings over the last few days, on doctors’ orders to not exert himself too much.
Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, who is co-anchor minister for Marine Parade GRC, told The Straits Times that the other MPs in the constituency will cover Mr Tong’s duties while he recovers.
In the meantime, Mr Tong will be spending National Day in the hospital and cheering the Red Lions and everyone else as he catches the National Day Parade on television.
“I want to extend my apologies for missing various events, and to the event organisers as well, for any inconvenience caused,” he said.
“This episode is another reminder for us all to not take our health for granted and to go for our regular health checks!”
In July, Bukit Panjang MP Liang Eng Hwa was diagnosed with nose cancer, and he said he would be undergoing daily radiotherapy treatments.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.