Kolkata, Jan 13 (IANS) Marxist veteran Jyoti Basu, who has been hospitalised with pneumonia, is still critical but is responding to treatment. The bacterial infection in the 95-year-old leader was marginally down, doctors attending to him said Wednesday.
The former West Bengal chief minister, who is in the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) on ventilation support, was given a unit of blood, the AMRI Hospital said in a medical bulletin Wednesday night.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader was given a unit of blood Tuesday as well to improve his haemoglobin count, which had come down.

“He is still critical and still on partial ventilation. But the infection count has marginally come down. Urine output is good,” the bulletin said.

“He is responding to treatment slightly,” it said. Microbiological tests earlier revealed the existence of several bacteria in his lungs.

Cardiologist A.K. Maity, heading the eight-member medical board constituted to treat Basu, said his condition had improved slightly. “He is trying to open his eyes. Compared to the last two days, his condition is slightly better.”

But Maity indicated that worries still remained. “Can’t say, can’t say. And that’s because of his age,” he said.

Another board member, critical care specialist Susrut Banerjee, said Basu’s calorie intake has been increased.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan visited the ailing leader and wished him speedy recovery.

“Jyoti Basu is a great leader. He is not only a great leader of West Bengal but of the whole nation. It was his greatness that he turned down the post of prime minister after the United Front proposed his name in 1996. I wish and pray to god that he gets well soon,” said Lalu Prasad, who was also a prominent leader of the United Front.

Said Paswan: “A hundred years from now, those who have become prime ministers till now may be forgotten. But Basu will forever remain fresh in people’s memory.”

Basu was admitted to the Salt Lake hospital near his residence Indira Bhavan Jan 1. He was shifted to the ICCU the next day and put on ventilator support Jan 6 following acute respiratory problems.

Basu underwent a brain scan Tuesday that showed no change in an old clot he had developed after a fall in his bathroom in 2008.

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