Former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews is in a ‘very bad way’ following a reported medical episode late last year.
The 53-year-old was admitted to hospital suffering neurological issues and is understood to be in the midst of a prolonged rehabilitation as he battles with movement and speech difficulties.
He is, however, making slow and steady improvement, reported The Herald Sun.
Andrews was treated at Monash Medical Centre, in Melbourne‘s southeast, shortly before Christmas.
Since he retired from Victoria’s top job in 2023, Andrews has kept largely out of the public eye.
He experienced intense scrutiny during his tenure for the strict Covid lockdown measures he ordered and Victoria’s worsening debt situation.
However, when he failed to acknowledge the untimely death of his friend and Labor colleague Tim Picton last month, questions were raised about why Andrews did not so much as issue a statement.
Picton had been in a three-week coma before he died following a one-punch assault outside a Perth pub in January.
Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews (above with wife Cath) is reportedly in the midst of a prolonged rehabilitation following a medical episode late last year
Andrews was treated at Monash Medical Centre and is making a steady recovery
Friends and colleagues in Andrews close circle have remained tight-lipped about his health.
One political source told the publication they have ‘locked down information like Michael Schumacher’s family’, referencing the F1 legend who was left disabled after he suffered a skiing accident.
Andrews was last hospitalised in 2021 after he fell on a step while visiting a holiday house on the Mornington Peninsula.
He injured his back, broke his ribs and suffered respiratory issues, saying the painful fall had shocked him so much he feared for his life.
He ended up having to go to ICU and spent four months undergoing rehabilitation.
Andrews was last in the headlines in September following a trip to China.
He was filmed being greeted by President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan on a red carpet procession in Beijing before the Communist dictator embarked on an open–top car ride past one of the largest – and most foreboding – displays of military hardware the world has ever seen.
Andrews also posed for a photo which included dictators such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korea‘s Kim Jong Un and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian that triggered condemnation from across the political spectrum in Australia.
The former Victorian Premier was part of select group of world leaders invited to watch a 10,000–strong military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2
He later released a statement defending his decision to accept the invitation.
‘I’ve said for years that a constructive relationship with China – our largest trading partner – is in Australia’s national interest and hundreds of thousands of Australian jobs depend on it. That hasn’t changed,’ Andrews said.
‘It was a chance to meet and engage with regional leaders–like former New Zealand prime ministers John Key and Helen Clark, Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and of course Chinese President Xi. We also shared in an official photograph.
‘And just so there’s no confusion – I have condemned Putin and his illegal war in Ukraine from day one. That’s why he banned me from Russia.’
