Dehydrated but on fluids, Anna Hazare on way to recovery

GURGAON: On day two of his stay at Medanta Medicity in Gurgaon, Anna Hazare preferred rest over public interaction. Doctors said there was significant improvement in his electrolyte balance , ketone level and weight —three things doctors were extremely worried about —in the last 24 hours. His vitals have also stabilized, with his liver and kidneys functioning normally .

“On Sunday, his blood pressure had dropped to 110/70 and pulse had increased to 95; but by Monday morning, his vitals stabilized and stayed at 130/84 and 82, respectively. He was constantly losing 500 gm daily in the last few days. In the last 24 hours, the rate of weight loss reduced to 200 gm. His urine ketone level has also reduced from above four to a little over two,” said Dr Naresh Trehan, cardiac surgeon and chairman of Medanta Medicity. He has been personally monitoring Anna’s health.

On Monday, Anna was fed oral fluids like coconut water mixed with honey and other juices to maintain the electrolyte balance. He had vegetable soup in the morning . “He is still dehydrated and gets tired very fast; but now, his electrolyte balance has improved considerably. We can’t immediately give him solid food as he might develop abdominal pain. While fasting, the intestine movement becomes slow. As a result, a person can develop abdominal pain if he is immediately put on solid diet,” said Dr Balram Gupta, who is part of the team looking after Anna.

He will be given semi-solid food from Tuesday. Doctors said that as Anna was not taking medicine to keep his blood pressure in control while fasting, his blood pressure dropped drastically. “We will be monitoring him for two to three days and then decide about his discharge ,” said Dr Trehan.