Legendary Gen Giap’s last days at Hanoi hospital Vietnamese army officials are seen visiting General Vo Nguyen Giap at the 108 Central Military Hospital in this July 2012 file photo. People's Army Newspaper Online Legendary Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap passed away on October 4 at 18:09 after 1,559 days of hospitalization. Doctors, nurses, and other staff at the 108 Central Military Hospital, where he was admitted on June 24, 2009, told local media about the national hero’s last days there. There were signs of severe problems with General Giap’s condition before August 25 which was his birthday, Nguyen Van Nhua, his private doctor since 1992, revealed to Tien Phong (Vanguard)newspaper. The Hanoi-based hospital’s leading doctors had to convene three consultation meetings to discuss General Giap’s heath during the week before his birthday, Nhua said. “We avoided letting too many people visit the general. Only those wearing hospital gowns and masks could enter his room,” the doctor said. On his birthday only plastic flowers were allowed because real plants could carry bacteria harmful to General Giap’s already fragile immune system, he elaborated. Bad news of his health emerged on October 3, the man recalled, adding his heart was normally functioning but his kidney was rather weak then. “He did not contract any disease and his real problem was old age,” the private doctor said. “He could have gone on early October 4 when he was in critical condition, but we tried our best to save his life then.” The legend fell into a coma that Friday afternoon before State President Truong Tan Sang and Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh visited him. Doctors and medical experts thought of the worst scenario as signs of his death surfaced again at 15:00 the same day, two hours after a glimmer of hope. His health became seriously deteriorating at 17:00 when abnormalities were found in General Giap’s pulse and blood pressure, Nhua divulged. “His heart then beat fewer than 70 times per minute so we could not do anything,” Nhua said. “The heart rate became irregular thirty minutes later. We could not do anything either. And he was gone when the heart rate monitor stopped at 18:09.” Nhua added that hospital doctors, nurses, and his family were there beside his deathbed. Wanting to fight death as hard as wars General Giap said that he wanted to battle old age the way he fought the wars in the past, according to Nhua. He had been optimistic until he drew his last breath, the doctor said. “He never moaned but tightly grasped my hands instead whenever he felt a great pain. I knew it was extremely painful for him. He had an admirably strong will,” Nhua said. General Giap stayed truly conscious before his condition became worse, always seeking advice from Nhua whenever any visitor gave him medicine. “He would ask, ‘Can I take these pills’ or delay swallowing any tablet he deemed as abnormal, pending confirmation from me,” Nhua said, adding the world-renowned patient said he had no intention to go abroad for treatment because he completely trusted the military hospital. Diet: three main dishes + milk and fruit Doctors prepared a special diet, including three main meals plus milk and fruit, for the general, Vu Phi Hai, another doctor at the 108 Central Military Hospital, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. He preferred having bread, milk, and cheese for breakfast, Hai said. “There was always a box of cheese on top of the buffet in his room,” the doctor added. Nhua, the other doctor, said General Giap also liked eggs and meat for his meals besides what was set in the standard menu.   General Giap never complained about the quality of the meals when he failed to finish them, according to hospital cooks Tran Thi Ngoc Lan and Nguyen Thi Mai. “He simply said that he was not well so he could not eat them all,” the two said. General Giap was just able to eat soups, instead of rice, while his condition became critical, the cooks said. But on October 4 the great general managed to have his normal meals, eat fruit, and drink milk as usual, they recollected. TUOITRENEWS