Former French president Chirac in hospital with suspected gout

Paris: Jacques Chirac, who has been in poor health for several years, was hospitalised on Monday near Paris for a suspected flare of gout, sources close to the former French president said.

An AFP reporter saw an ambulance and police motorbikes in front of the 81-year-old former president's home at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT).

He was later checked into the American Hospital of Paris in the plush suburb of Neuilly, a government source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A member of Chirac's inner circle said there was no cause for alarm. "There is absolutely no vital emergency. We suspect an acute episode of gout."

Chirac, who suffered a stroke in 2005, underwent successful kidney surgery in December.

He was France's president from 1995 to 2007 and twice previously served as prime minister. He is considered one of the most popular politicians in recent French history.

First Published: Tuesday, February 18, 2014, 02:00

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