Jean-Francois Payen, chief anesthesiologist at University Hospital of Grenoble in France, and member of Michael Schumacher’s medical team after the F1 champion’s ski accident, spoke on his patient’s health for the first time.

Payen stated in French newspaper “Le Parisien” and RTL radio station that Schumacher has come out of the coma he was in since his accident but his health has only partially improved. He state that patience and time is needed for a full recovery of his patient and that the timeframe for that is three years.

The French doctor praised the patience and courage of the champion’s wife, who, according to Payen is surrounded by experts, whose advice she has been carrying out to the letter since the beginning, resulting in Schumacher’s constantly ameliorating state.

The doctor said that although the patient was moved from hospital last June to his Lausanne home, he is supported by a specialist team which visits him frequently. He stressed that Schumacher’s stay near his family is of critical importance.

Doctor Payen spoke of the “media storm” for the first time that he and his fellow doctors had to cope with, and the need they had to protect the patient with a “medical bubble” from the pressure of journalists. Payen revealed that doctors that treated Schumacher entered a sealed-off parking garage so that the media wouldn’t know their comings and goings, while they left their cellphones outside the hospital.

It was reported, back then, that a journalist had dressed up as a priest and had entered Schumacher’s room while the theft of medical papers from Schumacher’s room had been reported at a later date.