The condition of fasting Sikh activist Surat Singh Khalsa deteriorated on Wednesday after which doctors at the Ludhiana civil hospital started feeding him intravenous (IV) fluids.
Khalsa had refused to drink water ever since the administration shifted him to the hospital from his house at Hasanpur village on Monday.
A board of three doctors constituted by the district administration took the decision to administer IV fluids to Khalsa after reviewing his health condition as he was not taking anything orally.
District administration officials, including Ludhiana deputy commissioner Rajat Agarwal, superintendent of police Ludhiana (rural) Ravcharan Singh Brar and civil surgeon Dr Renu Chhatwal, held a closed-door meeting with Khalsa on Wednesday morning to convince him to take medical treatment and end fast. Even his daughter Sarvinder Kaur and relatives was asked to leave the room. However, Khalsa refused to end fast and demanded the immediate release of Sikh prisoners.
“We met Surat Singh Khalsa and urged him to break his fast but he refused. As his condition started deteriorating, fluids were started on him after medical assessment as he was not taking anything orally,” said the DC.
He said a high-level committee was looking into Khalsa’s demands. The civil surgeon said that Khalsa’s condition was deteriorating as he was not having even water.
{{/usCountry}}He said a high-level committee was looking into Khalsa’s demands. The civil surgeon said that Khalsa’s condition was deteriorating as he was not having even water.
{{/usCountry}}However, Khalsa’s daughter alleged that the authorities tried to force-feed his father in sleep on Wednesday morning. “The doctors found that my father’s pulse rate was dropping following which they tried to force-feed him,” she alleged.
Meanwhile, Dal Khalsa activists led by its president HS Dhami also visited the civil hospital on Wednesday afternoon but they were not allowed to meet Khalsa.