New Delhi: The White House Monday said that a Parkinson’s disease specialist who frequently visited the US President’s residence had treated other patients and only examined Joe Biden as part of his annual physical examination in February, amid controversy surrounding the leader’s health.
Kevin Cannard, a neurology consultant, made at least eight visits to the White House between July 2023 and March 2024, according to visitor logs that have been made public. Cannard has been a consultant with the White House Medical Unit since 2012.
“Dr. Cannard was the neurological specialist that examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals. His findings have been made public each time I have released the results of the President’s annual physical. President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical,” said Kevin O’Connor, the physician to the President, in a letter made public by the White House late Monday night.
The results of the last annual physical, released on 28 February 2024, according to O’Connor show “no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or ascending lateral sclerosis, nor are there any signs of cervical myelopathy”.
Cannard most recently visited the White House on 28 March 2024. Records after March have not been made available.
Biden has been facing scrutiny over his cognitive abilities after his performance in the first presidential debate with Republican challenger and former US President Donald Trump. The incumbent President’s halting and meandering performance set off questions regarding his health.
Biden, 81, is already the oldest President to have been in office and the oldest candidate running to lead the world’s largest economy for another four years. During the debate, Biden often lost his train of thought or stumbled over words.
His abysmal performance led to a Democratic Party meltdown. At least nine Democratic members of the House of Representatives have called for Biden to drop out of the race according to The Washington Post, about 40 days before the party’s National Convention and about four months before Americans will go to polls to elect the next President.
Biden, in a letter to House Democrats on Monday, said that he was “firmly committed to staying in this race, to running to the end and to beating Donald Trump”.
(Edired by Tikli Basu)
Also read: Biden says determined to remain in presidential race, but expresses concerns in private, reports NYT