Family members called after abrupt drop in Jyoti Basu’s BP

"Mr. Basu’s family members were called as his blood pressure abruptly dropped. A new medicine was administered and his condition stabilised to a certain extent," Dr Ranjan Sarker, a nephrolgist on the medical board at the AMRI Hospital told reporters.

CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu. Jyoti Basu who was admitted in the hospital with pneumonia on January 1 was critical on Friday and his family members were called as there was an abrupt drop in his BP. File Photo; Sushanta Patronobish

The blood pressure of critically ill CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu dropped suddenly late on Friday night with the hospital authorities summoning the former Chief Minister’s family, an attending doctor said.

“Mr. Basu’s family members were called as his blood pressure abruptly dropped. A new medicine was administered and his condition stabilised to a certain extent,” Dr Ranjan Sarker, a nephrolgist on the medical board at the AMRI Hospital told reporters.

Sarker said that he consulted his counterpart at AIIMS, New Delhi D M Bhowmick and took his advice.

Mr. Basu, he said, was on full ventilation and full life support.

The report of the CPI(M) leader’s dialysis was satisfactory, he said.

The doctors would monitor Mr. Basu for the entire night and a review meeting will be held in the morning, he said.

Mr. Basu’s son, Chandan, his wife Rakhi and other family members arrived at the hospital after being summoned.

Besides Chandan and his wife, Mr. Basu’s sister-in-law and her husband were also at the hospital for some time.

Earlier, Mr. Basu’s condition turned “very, very critical” and he was “sinking” with multi-organ failure and totally dependent on support systems, A K Maity, Mr. Basu’s personal physician and member of the medical board said.