Basu's vital organs unstable, on maximum ventilator support, say doctors

KOLKATA: The condition of CPM patriarch Jyoti Basu turned extremely critical on Saturday with all his vital organs affected and "there is little hope of any good result".

"All five vital organs -- heart, lungs, kidney, brain and liver -- are not functioning properly," Dr Ajit Kumar Maity, Basu's personal physician and a memberof the medical board at AMRI hospital, where he is admitted, said.

Asked about the chances of recovery of the 95-year-old leader, Maity said, "At this age and the complications he is suffering from, there is little hope of any good result. The doctors are doing their best."

He said Basu, who was put on Slow Low Efficiency Daily Dialysis (SLEDD) at noon has taken it well. "It will continue for eight hours if there is no problem," he said.

When a patient is unable to withstand normal dialysis, SLEDD is resorted to.

Basu was admitted to AMRI Hospital with pneumonia on January 1 and put on a ventilator on January 6.

Meanwhile, CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechuri, who visited Basu in hospital said, "He continues to amaze me. He is such a fighter. I hope he will be able to fight this also. He is in a critical state. Let's see if he can complete the dialysis."

Asked if he was satisfied with the treatment being given to the party veteran in the hospital, he said, "He is being given the best in treatment. The procedure and manner in which he is being treated is the best."

Earlier, the medical bulletin said that Basu's condition was extremely critical and his blood pressure and urine output had dropped. The former West Bengal chief minister suffered multi-organ failure on Friday evening.

According to doctors, the level of carbon dioxide in Basu's body increased, after which he was given more ventilator support.

"He is now under round the clock medical observation," the medical report added.

The Communist icon was hospitalised after a pneumonia attack and admitted in the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) of the Salt Lake-based private hospital Jan 1.

Born 1914 in Kolkata, Basu became chief minister of West Bengal in June 1977. He stepped down voluntarily on health grounds in November 2000.