Iraqi PM flies to London for heart check-up

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki flew to London on Sunday for health checks after doctors in the British capital briefly inserted a catheter into his heart two months ago, an Iraqi government spokesman said.

"The prime minister has left for London to have medical checks. He already had an appointment with the doctor who made a heart catheter for him before," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Reuters, adding that Maliki was in good health.

Cardiac catheterization is an initial procedure to check for any heart problems.

Maliki, who is in his late 50s, flew to London on December 29 for medical tests. An official in his office at the time said the prime minister had been suffering from mild exhaustion.

"I'm leaving for London for a very short period of time just to do a follow-up on the results of the medical check-ups I had before," Maliki said prior to his departure.

Dabbagh said the appointment was routine following the earlier procedure.

"There is nothing wrong with him or his heart. He was asked by the doctor to come back within a period of not less than six weeks, and that is why he is going," Dabbagh said.

Maliki assured Iraqis when he returned to Baghdad after the December trip to London that he was in good health.

(Reporting by Mariam Karouny and Wisam Mohammed; writing by Michael Holden; editing by Sami Aboudi)