Vajpayee taken off ventilator, stable

Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for a chest infection, was taken off the ventilator on Sunday and is breathing on his own.

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for a chest infection, was taken off the ventilator on Sunday and is breathing on his own.

HT Image

"Vajpayee was taken off the ventilator on Sunday morning and is breathing on his own. He continues to be in the Intensive Care Unit," AIIMS medical superintendent D.K. Sharma told IANS.

"His condition is improving and his chest infection has also become better. All his vital parameters like blood pressure level, liver and kidney are normal," said Sharma.

The octogenarian leader underwent a tracheotomy surgery for smoother airway management and was put on minimal ventilator support Saturday. Tracheotomy is a surgical procedure in the neck to open a direct airway through an incision in the trachea or windpipe.

The 84-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was admitted to the hospital after he complained of difficulty in breathing Feb 3. He was put on mechanical ventilation last Friday.