HOUSTON - Former US President George H.W. Bush was released from a Houston hospital Monday morning after a nearly two months' hospitalization with a bronchitis-related cough and other health issues, doctors said Monday.

"Mr. Bush has improved to the point that he will not need any special medication when he goes home, but he will continue physical therapy," Amy Mynderse, the internal medicine physician in charge of Bush's care, said in a press release.

Bush's spokesman Jim McGrath also said the 88-year-old ex- president was released Monday from Methodist Hospital in Houston.

Bush, in a statement, expressed deep gratitude to "the wonderful doctors and nurses at Methodist who took such good care of me."  

Bush has been hospitalized since November 23 last year with bronchitis. He was once put under intensive care with a liquids- only diet served, due to a worsening fever.

Since being transferred back to a regular hospital room on December His condition has continued to improve and he has been undergoing physical therapy to rebuild his strength.