Jyoti Basu sliding, say doctors
Veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu’s condition was “extremely critical” on Saturday and he needed maximum ventilator support, doctors attending to him said.
Veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu’s condition was “extremely critical” on Saturday and he needed maximum ventilator support, doctors attending to him said.
In the city to attend a string of programmes, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wished the CPI-M patriarch a speedy recovery. Speaking at the concluding session of St. Xavier’s Collegiate School’s 150th anniversary celebrations, he said, “I would like to make a mention of another very distinguished old boy of St. Xavier’s and a great son of India, Shri Jyoti Basu. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”
But at Salt Lake’s AMRI hospital, the condition of Basu (95), who suffered a multi-organ failure, continued to deteriorate.
“We put him on slow low efficiency dialysis for eight hours at noon. We took the decision after consultations with nephrologists at Delhi’s AIIMS. His lungs aren’t working even with full ventilation. He is sliding. It’s very difficult for someone of his age to bounce back after a multi-organ failure,” said Dr Ajit Kumar Maiti, Basu’s family physician and head of the medical team looking after him.
He said doctors were trying to cleanse the fluids in Basu’s brain cells and lungs. Dr Trishit Ray, consultant neurologist, said, “We have also given him injections to normalise his blood circulation system.”
The medical bulletin issued in the evening said doctors had raised the level of inotropic support to keep Basu’s blood pressure from dropping too low. A doctor on the medical board said they were no longer expecting a recovery.
Despite continuous artificial life support for 12 days, Basu’s health has shown no signs of improvement. His lungs, liver, kidneys and central nervous system are not functioning.