Pranab Mukherjee under intensive care, continues to be in deep coma: Hospital

84-year-old Mukherjee was admitted to the hospital on August 10 and underwent a critical brain surgery to remove a clot in his brain after he suffered a fall at his Rajaji Marg residence a day before.

Former president Pranab Mukherjee is “under intensive care and is being treated for a lung infection and renal dysfunction”, the Indian Army’s Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi said in a medical bulletin on Friday.

Pranab Mukherjee has also tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). (PTI photo)

“He continues to be in a deep coma and on ventilator support. He is haemodynamically stable,” the hospital said.

A patient is haemodynamically stable when the blood circulation parameters such as blood pressure, heart and pulse rate are stable and normal.

The 84-year-old leader was admitted to the hospital on August 10 and underwent critical brain surgery to remove a clot after he suffered a fall at his home a day before. He has also tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Mukherjee’s daughter and son - Congress leaders Sharmistha Mukherjee and Abhijit Mukherjee - regularly tweet updates on their father’s health. They have also rubbished speculation and fake news about his health.

Abhijit Mukherjee had earlier said his father was showing “positive signs of improvement”. However, on August 19, his condition declined as he developed a lung infection. On August 20, his respiratory parameters had shown a slight improvement but he continued to remain on ventilator support.

Special prayers were organised in Mukherjee’s ancestral village in West Bengal’s Birbhum district after he was hospitalised.

Mukherjee was the 13th President of India from 2012 to 2017. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna - India’s highest civilian award - last August.