PM Modi visits AIIMS to enquire on Vajpayee's health

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here today to enquire about the health conditions of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is undergoing treatment at the premier hospital.

The prime minister visited the hospital at around 9.05 pm and left after 15-20 minutes, according to a source at the AIIMS.

Though no fresh statement has been issued by the hospital on the health conditions of Vajpayee, sources had last week said he was showing improvement even though he continued to remain in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Cardio-thoracic Centre.

The 93-year-old BJP leader was admitted to the hospital on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, chest congestion and urine output on the lower side.

He was immediately evaluated by a team of doctors and put on injectable antibiotics.

Vajpayee, a diabetic, has one functional kidney. He had suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.

Besides Modi, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, BJP chief Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and several chief ministers and Union ministers have visited the AIIMS since Vajpayee was admitted at the hospital.

Vajpayee was thrice elected as prime minister between 1996 and 1999 and is the only non-Congress prime minister to complete a full term of five years, from 1999 to 2004. As his health deteriorated, he slowly withdrew himself from public life and remained confined to his residence.