Mayor hospitalized again; heart functioning at 20 percent

HILO — Mayor Harry Kim was released Friday from Hilo Medical Center after being driven by ambulance to the emergency room.

According to the Mayor’s Office, Kim was diagnosed with a relapse of pneumonia and was resting at home. The office said the mayor was suffering severe chills early Friday morning, and his wife called 911 for an ambulance.

The hospital visit follows Kim, 78, being diagnosed with walking pneumonia in early May after suffering his fifth heart attack in late April.

Managing Director Wil Okabe said only 20 percent of the mayor’s heart is functional.

Okabe said Kim is looking at doing a procedure on the mainland to reduce stress on his heart, but he didn’t have details.

“He has to take care of his pneumonia first,” the managing director said.

Okabe noted Kim sounded “very tired” Friday morning but that he also is a “fighter,” and he didn’t know long the mayor will be out of the office. Kim returned to work the following Monday after his last heart attack in April, which occurred on a Thursday.

“He has to rest. He can’t overexert himself in his condition, and we got to try to remind him his health is very important to the people of Hawaii,” the managing director said. “And I know people will continue to pray for him, for his speedy recovery, and this is what we got to do.”

Okabe said Kim is usually taking time to rest during his workdays but was working until 10 p.m. Thursday to check on the progress of the opening of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Recovery Center at the Keaau High School gym. The center opened Friday morning.

Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.