Doctors deny Sharon coma concerns

Ariel Sharon had a massive stroke nine days ago

An Israeli hospital has denied reports that doctors are concerned they have been unable to wake Prime Minister Ariel Sharon from a drug-induced coma.

Israeli media had quoted officials and sources as saying there was concern about the pace of Mr Sharon's progress.

But a hospital spokesman said patients regained consciousness at different times after sedatives had been reduced.

Doctors say there has been no change in his condition and he remains critical, nine days after he suffered a stroke.

No bleeding

The Jerusalem hospital has been reducing the drugs that kept the 77-year-old in a coma since Monday, in order to assess the extent of neurological damage.

Hadassah Hospital spokesman Ron Krumer said it could take days or even weeks for Mr Sharon to wake up, and that doctors were not standing over him with a stopwatch.

ARIEL SHARON'S HEALTH Sharon suffers minor stroke on 18 December 2005 Doctors discover small hole in heart, schedule operation for 5 January Sharon rushed to hospital one day before scheduled surgery with major stroke Undergoes two operations overnight on 4/5 January, followed by third on 6 January What is a stroke?

Israel TV's Channel 10 and Israel army radio had quoted hospital officials as saying they were worried Mr Sharon still showed no signs that he was waking up.

The Ma'ariv newspaper's NRG website cited unnamed medical sources as saying doctors were increasingly concerned about his condition and were reviewing his treatment.

The Israeli leader is still receiving a minimal dosage of sedatives and it is not clear when they will be stopped.

A scan of his brain on Thursday showed there was no sign left of bleeding from the stroke and he responded to pain stimuli on both sides of his body earlier in the week.

The prime minister's powers have been transferred to Ehud Olmert.

Israel is due to vote in a general election on 28 March.

Opinion polls suggest that Mr Sharon's new ruling party, Kadima, could win the poll even if he is not at the helm.