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In AIIMS due to kidney failure, undergoing tests for transplant, tweets Sushma
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Wednesday morning she was admitted at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences because of a kidney failure, the second time she has been hospitalized this year.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj revealed on Wednesday that her kidneys have failed and she is undergoing tests for a transplant surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi.
The 64-year-old BJP leader was admitted to a private ward in the cardio-neurosciences centre of AIIMS, where she underwent a battery of tests mandatory before a transplant surgery, hospital sources said.
“I am in AIIMS because of kidney failure. Presently, I am on dialysis. I am undergoing tests for a kidney transplant. Lord Krishna will bless,” she said on microblogging site Twitter, one of her most favoured modes of communication with people.
She was allowed to go home for the night and will be back on Thursday morning for another round of tests, the sources added.
Swaraj suffers from chronic kidney disease and has been hospitalised a few times in the past two months because of her kidney condition.
Government sources said she “continues to remain engaged in her work” despite her health condition. Swaraj has two junior ministers -- V K Singh and MJ Akbar – to assist her in her official work, besides foreign secretary S Jaishankar.
The sources said even when she was in hospital earlier, she was involved in all major decisions of the ministry and held discussions with senior officials on all key issues.
“She has also been keenly engaged in ensuring (that) consular issues of Indians in distress abroad are taken care of,” said an official.
Her last foreign trip was in September when she addressed the UN General Assembly in New York. Other sideline events were attended by Akbar.
“Her travel plans in the near future and other engagements will be decided on doctors’ advice,” the official added.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi wished her a speedy recovery. “Sushmaji we are with you in this difficult time. Hope you get better very soon,” he tweeted.
Some of Swaraj’s tests reports that HT accessed show increased creatinine levels, indicating impaired kidney function.
“Chronic kidney disease has different stages and is normally categorised between 1 and 5. Five is when a person becomes a transplant candidate,” said a doctor at AIIMS.
Another doctor said Swaraj was stable and her diabetes was under control but several other parameters needed to be checked to ensure her fitness for surgery.
Swaraj was last admitted to AIIMS on October 25 to undergo a series of blood tests to assess her kidney function.
In April, she was admitted for over two weeks, with symptoms of fever, congestion and features of pneumonia.
