Basu's health improves slightly; remains critical

The condition of veteran CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu today showed slight improvement but he continued to remain critical.

"Basu's blood pressure and pulse are stable at the moment and he has mild fever," AMRI Hospital Superintendent Dr Debashis Sharma told PTI here.

Basu continues to be on partial ventilation and is being administered blood pressure stabilising drugs ionotrops, he said, adding that his sensorium has shown little improvement.

Doctors have deferred the decision to go for a tracheotomy surgery to facilitate breathing.

The 95-year-old Marxist leader, who was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia on January 1, will be given one more unit of blood today to raise his haemoglobin count, his personal physician Dr A K Maity said.

His urine output has improved a little and he is responding to treatment, he said.

A brain CT scan done yesterday on Basu had shown no change on the previous subdural haematoma.