Michael Moore hospitalised for pneumonia ahead of release of Where to Invade Next

Michael Moore, known for his hard-hitting documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine, has been undergoing treatment for pneumonia at an intensive care unit in New York for the last one week.

He was admitted to the hospital on Sunday night and shared the news over his health status through a post on Facebook, reports dailymail.co.uk.

He blamed his illness on an exhausting schedule promoting his upcoming film Where to Invade Next, supporting Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and trying to draw attention to the poisoned water scandal in his hometown of Flint, Michigan.

The director also expressed concern over Where to Invade Next, and urged his fans and followers to help get the word out about his movie. The post reads:

"I'm writing this to all of you today (Thursday) from the Intensive Care Unit at a hospital in New York City. Unfortunately, I've come down with pneumonia. Between running all over the place lately promoting my new movie ('Where To Invade Next), plus going to Flint to help the people of my hometown, plus jumping in to support Senator Sanders, plus doing a dozen other things.

Well, I read somewhere you can't burn it at both ends, and if you do, it's best not to do so in the winter nor anywhere near a place full of toxic water".

Moore had to cancel all of his appearances promoting Where To Invade. Moore held a rally in Flint mid-January, claiming Governor Rick Snyder knew that the city's water was contaminated. The post further reads:

"The truth is, I've actually been in the ICU since Sunday night. Let's just say things didn't look good Sunday night. But thanks to a combination of good doctors, decent hospital food and 2nd-term Obamacare, I'm doing much better the last couple of days - so much so that I'm being discharged later today. I'm to return home and rest for the coming days. All appearances for the rest of this week have been canceled."

Talking about the film, he said:

"Needless to say, in addition to being a bummer health-wise (and I'm trying out a new thing this week by putting that, my health, first), this is a huge loss to my efforts in leading up to the release of my new movie next Friday.

I'm now worried about my film's release. I can't fly, I have to recover, and in one week (12 February) this great movie I've put so much of my life into is going to open in theaters -- with little or no assistance from me."

-- IANS