Former president Havel to be released from hospital on Thursday

Former Czech president Václav Havel will be released from hospital on Thursday more than two weeks after he was admitted with severe breathing problems, a hospital spokesperson has said. Eva Jurinová from Prague’s Motol hospital said on Wednesday that Mr Havel’s condition had improved considerably and that doctors had therefore decided to release him the following day. The former head of state underwent surgery on January 12, after complaining of problems breathing and swallowing, the operation was followed by complications which left Mr Havel in intensive care. The former president suffers from chronic bronchitis and had part of his right lung removed when he was diagnosed with cancer in 1996.