Manmohan offers to arrange doctors for Jyoti Basu’s treatment

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh being received by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at Kolkata Airport on Thursday. Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukheree is in the picture. Photo: PTI

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday assured the doctors attending veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu that arrangements would be made to bring experts from other parts of the country if required for treatment Mr. Basu.

“Prime Minister discussed treatment procedures with doctors and assured them that if any other doctors are required for consultation from any part of India for Basu’s treatment, he can make arrangements if informed,” former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said quoting him.

Mr. Chatterjee, who was present at the hospital, said the doctors told the Prime Minister that they would inform him if the situation so required.

The Prime Minister, accompanied by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and WBPCC working President Pradip Bhattacharya, was in the hospital for nearly 20 minutes.

Mr. Chatterjee said Dr. Singh also spoke to Mr. Basu’s son Chandan and conveyed his best wishes for the ailing leader’s speedy recovery.

“We are deeply touched by the trouble taken by the Prime Minister for coming and visiting our leader,” Mr. Chatterjee said.

Mr. Mukherjee later said, “Basu’s condition remains unchanged.”