SINGAPORE — Doctors whom TODAY spoke to were impressed by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat's speedy recovery after he collapsed from a stroke, noting how he was able to walk and chat with doctors and nurses as a healthy person would. 

Patients who survive a stroke usually take between three and six months to fully recover, said neurologist Lee Kim En from Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre. 

But pictures and videos posted online on Saturday (June 25) have shown Mr Heng smiling and walking, which are signs that he is well on the road to regaining health, said Dr Lee, who described Mr Heng's recovery as "remarkable and spectacular".

Mr Heng collapsed during a Cabinet meeting on May 12, and has been warded at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for the past month and a half, after he underwent surgery. He was discharged on Saturday (June 25). 

Said Dr Desmond Wai, a consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital: "The fact that he can perform normal functions like shaking hands, chatting with doctors and nurses after 40 days in hospital is considered very quick."

The doctors attributed Mr Heng's quick recovery to various factors, including how he received immediate attention after collapsing during a meeting, rapid diagnosis and treatment, and proper care from therapists and physicians at TTSH's neuro-intensive care unit.

Mr Heng was fortunate to have collapsed in the midst of three Cabinet colleagues who are doctors -- Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, and Minister of State (Education, and Communications and Information) Janil Puthucheary -- and who immediately tried to resuscitate him, said Dr Wai. 

"They helped to ensure that the brain would not be entirely devoid of oxygen," he said.

Dr Lee said much credit must also go to the team at TTSH that cared for Mr Heng while he was hospitalised. 

"When someone's brain is under siege, the central command doesn't work...Physicians, therapists, and nutritionists therefore play a critical role to ensure that bodily functions are sustained round the clock," he said.

Dr Leong Choon Kit, a general practitioner, added that the patient's self-motivation is also a determining factor in his road to recovery.

Agreeing, Dr Lee said: "Not all patients who receive the same treatment and rehabilitation respond as positively as Mr Heng. He is generally healthy...Looking at him, full recovery will probably take three months rather than six."

However, Dr Lee highlighted that "full recovery" not only takes into account physical rehabilitation, but also emotional and cognitive recovery. "Just because someone is smiling and walking may not mean full recovery. The entire care process must work towards helping the brain to function normally and getting the rest of the system working together," he said.