Thaindian News

Kolkata, Jan 17 (IANS) Following is a chronological account of Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu’s last few days after he was admitted to hospital here:
Jan 1: Basu admitted to private AMRI hospital with chest congestion and infection in the evening; CT scan reveals the 95-year-old leader has pneumonia; medical board formed for his treatment.

Jan 2: Shifted to the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) in the morning for constant observation; medical bulletin says condition stable and he is responding well to treatment.

Jan 3: His condition marginally improves. He receives one unit of blood. Six-member medical board constituted to treat him.

Jan 5: Doctors start physiotherapy as his health condition improves. “Basu is presently on a liquid diet and his blood pressure is normal,” says medical bulletin. Two other members added to medical board now led by cardiologist A.K. Maity.

Jan 6: Basu’s health condition deteriorates. His respiratory problem becomes acute, and doctors decide to put him on artificial ventilation.

Jan 7: Basu stable on ventilation support. CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechuri visits hospital and claims he is responding to a new course of antibiotics.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits hospital and offers to arrange for expert doctors for Basu’s treatment.

Jan 8: Basu “critical but slightly better”. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda visits hospital and claims Basu lifted his hand to greet him. Medical board holds tele-conference with specialists at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.

Jan 9: Basu’s condition deteriorates, he slips into a state of drowsiness. “This signifies involvement of multiple organs,” says medical bulletin.

Jan 10: His health condition marginally improves, but remains critical. Basu responds to calls and moves hands.

Jan 11: Condition continues to be critical with no improvement. Develops fever.

Jan 12: Remains critical though his fever subsides. Brain scan shows no change in an old clot.

Jan 13: Still critical but responds to treatment. Bacterial infection marginally down.

Jan 14: Basu’s health condition further deteriorates and doctors put him on dialysis with little success. Oxygen requirement increases as his lungs dysfunction. Ventilator support maximum. Heart and renal functioning also worsens.

Jan 15: His condition worsens, suffers multi-organ failure; doctors say not responding to treatment.

Jan 16: Condition “extremely critical”. Blood pressure drops in the wee hours. Family members rush and entire medical board summoned to tackle the emergency. Revived with medicines. Doctors perform Slow, Low Effective Daily Dialysis (SLEDD) later in the day.

Amitabh Bachchan visits hospital and scribbles a ‘get well soon’ note.

Jan 17: Condition turns ‘grave’. Doctors say can’t perform SLEDD, a must, as blood pressure turns irregular. Basu breathes his last at 11.47 a.m.