Cardinal Vidal’s condition slightly improves but still critical

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal’s health showed slight improvement Sunday morning, October 15, but the team of doctors attending to the retired cardinal said his condition remains critical.

Dr Rene Josef Bullecer, one of Vidal’s physicians and close friends, told Rappler that while the 86-year-old retired cardinal woke up from a coma last Friday, October 13, two days after he collapsed inside the Perpetual Succor Hospital in Cebu City, there is still slight or very minimal improvement in his level of consciousness.

“There has been slight improvement in his condition after he underwent dialysis, per recommendation of his nephrologist, but he is still in semi-comatose state,” Bullecer said.

A person in a semi-comatose state opens and closes eyes spontaneously but does not reply to any voice command or grip, according to Bullecer. However, Vidal has started to respond to specific body reflexes and already reacts to pain.

The cardinal fell into a coma on Wednesday, October 11, hours after he was rushed to the hospital due to fever and shortness of breath. The prelate has been in and out of the hospital since 2014 due to pneumonia.

Aside from the blood bacterial infections that caused Vidal to collapse Wednesday, another major concern of his doctors is a moderate kidney problem.

“He is still in critical condition due to bacterial infections side-by-side with poor kidney functions. Even how good the medications afforded to the patient are, if the kidneys are malfunctioning, everything is compromised,” Bullecer said.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma earlier called on the faithful to pray for the speedy recovery of his predecessor.

Vidal served as archbishop of Cebu for 29 years before he retired in 2011. He is the most senior of the 4 living cardinals in the Philippines. The other cardinals in the country are Manila Archbishop Emeritus Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, and Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo. – Rappler.com