Soviet puzzle deepens

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 8

Soviet puzzle deepens

NZPA-Reuter Moscow

The mystery over the health of President Brezhnev of the Soviet Union deepened yesterday when his chief physician failed to turn up at a scheduled press conference. Western correspondents and officials of some Western embassies were told up to two days ago that the heart specialist, Professor Yevgeny Chazov, would field questions on health at a press conference yesterday. But correspondents who turned up were told that Professor Chazov, head of a special Health Ministry department that looks after Kremlin leaders, had been unable to take part, apparently because of a broken leg sustained three weeks ago.

It had been expected that Professor Chazov might make some statement on the health of the 75-year-old Mr Brezhnev who is said to have undergone hospital treatment in the last three weeks. Replying to written questions in the absence of Professor Chazov, Professor Nikolai Blokhin, president of the Soviet Academy of Medical Sciences, merely repeated an earlier Foreign Ministry statement that Mr Brezhnev was on a “routine winter holiday." The statement avoided any specific comment on the health of Mr Brezhnev, who has not been seen in public since March 26 when he ended a visit to Soviet Uzbekistan in poor shape.

Apart from the brief Foreign Ministry statement, Soviet officials have steadfastly refused to make any comment about Mr Brezhnev’s health in line with usual Soviet practice. At the same time, reliable sources in Moscow have said the Soviet leader has received hospital treatment for an undisclosed ailment since returning from Uzbekistan. If he is in good enough health, Mr Brezhnev's next public appearance is likely to be at an annual Kremlin political meeting on April 21 on the eve of Lenin’s birthday. If he fails to turn up there, a fresh round of speculation on his health is likely to follow.