MOSCOW, Dec 2: Former Russian prime minister Yegor Gaidar’s vital functions went through ‘radical changes’ when he suffered a still unexplained illness last week in Ireland, an aide quoted Irish doctors as saying on Saturday.

“The Irish doctors did not decide to announce a final diagnosis. They just gave the results of their examination, which indicate there were radical changes in the organism’s vital functions in a brief period of time,” Mr Gaidar’s spokesman Valery Natarov was reported as saying.

A full diagnosis could be announced on Sunday, he said.

Mr Gaidar collapsed on Nov 24, vomiting blood, while he was attending a conference near Dublin. There was widespread speculation that the mystery illness might be connected to the still unsolved radiation poisoning of fugitive former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko in London.

Mr Gaidar, who has been receiving treatment back in Moscow, now feels `much better’, Mr Natarov said.

Gaidar’s daughter Maria said the cause of the sickness might never be known.

Doctors `only began to investigate after three or four days. If you try to find a poison after 24 hours it is very difficult, after 48 hours it is quite impossible’, she said.

In Dublin, the Irish Independent newspaper reported that Irish police are satisfied Mr Gaidar was not poisoned and a nuclear watchdog has failed to find any traces of radiation.

Police refused to comment on the report.—AFP