Arun Jaitley shifted to AIIMS from Max

Jaitley has been advised to take rest for a few more days in complete isolation, in order to avoid any recurrence of infection

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was on Sunday shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) from Max Hospital, even as he has recovered from respiratory infection.

Jaitley has been advised to take rest for a few more days in complete isolation, in order to avoid any recurrence of the infection, official sources said. For this, he has been lodged at a special isolation facility at AIIMS.

The finance minister was admitted to Max Hospital at Saket on September 1 for bariatric surgery to control his diabetes. The next day, an elective laparoscopic procedure was carried out on him. In bariatric surgery, the stomach is sewn and a small pouch of it is made. The pouch is then connected to the intestines so that food from the small pouch goes to the intestines directly.

Jaitley was discharged on September 10 and he attended a Cabinet meeting the same day. The Cabinet had approved disinvestment in Coal India Ltd, ONGC and NHPC. However, Jaitley had to skip a two-day G20 meeting of finance ministers in Australia, which began on September 20.

He also had to skip a public meeting on September 22 and was re-admitted to Max on the same day for respiratory infection.

The 61-year-old minister has been a diabetic for the past few years.

Jaitley has made no secret of his condition, but many did question his physical ability to run three ministries - finance, defence and corporate affairs. In fact, the minister had to take a break half way in his Budget speech in Parliament in July. He remained seated while reading the second half of the speech.