Harding recovering after appendicitis

The team that treated Andrew Harding asked that he broadcast his experience in Libya

Foreign correspondent Andrew Harding is recuperating at home in South Africa, after a stay at a Libyan hospital where he was diagnosed with appendicitis.

His hospital visit occured soon after he reported on the bitter fighting at the Gaddafi stronghold of Bani Walid.

Describing his experience on Radio 4's From Our Own Correspondent, Harding said he initially put his stomach pains down to something he had eaten, but medical staff at a Tripoli hospital insisted he needed an operation to remove his appendix.

The hospital, Harding said, was largely staffed by expats and had catered to oil workers under the Gaddafi regime. He added: 'It was a place of wealth and order, and lots of foreigners. There were Russian surgeons, a chatty Macedonian nurse, dozens of Filipinos, and a formidable Scottish matron.'

Furthermore the medical team didn't want any payment. Instead they asked that Harding broadcast his experience and asked for some BBC-branded merchandise.

Foreign editor Jon Williams was happy to oblige. He told Ariel he was travelling to Libya to catch up with the newsgathering team there and to meet interim Prime Minister Abdel Jalil.

He said: 'My friends in BBC Production came to the rescue and gave me lots of things to take. I went to the hospital to thank the doctors and nurses who looked after Andrew and I had mugs, pens and stuff from the cast of Casualty.'