Sourav undergoes angioplasty after suffering heart attack, condition stable

Kolkata: Former India cricket captain and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly underwent angioplasty after he was admitted to a private hospital in Alipore at around 1 pm on Saturday following a 'mild cardiac arrest'.

His condition was stable and he was fully conscious in the evening. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited him at the hospital after receiving the news. Ganguly was diagnosed with three blocked coronary arteries after which a stent was implanted to remove one blockage. The hospital had constituted a five-member medical board headed by cardiologist Dr Saroj Mondal for his treatment. The doctors will monitor his health condition for the next 24 hours.

"Ganguly is absolutely fine and he was smiling when I entered his room at the hospital. He talked to me and enquired about my health. I heard that he does not undergo a health check. An angioplasty was done and he is much relieved. I also express my thanks to the doctors and the hospital. International players like him must undertake routine tests. I urged Abhishek Dalmiya to arrange various tests before matches," the Chief Minister told reporters outside the hospital in the evening. The Chief Minister along with many other sports personalities wished his speedy recovery in their Twitter handles.

A decision on whether to implant more stents will be taken later depending on his condition, a senior official of the hospital said. He will be under strict observation for the next couple of days. "We will be taking a decision on our next course of action depending on his improvement. Ganguly is stable on various other parameters as well," the official said.

"Ganguly was rushed to the hospital following a complaint of chest pain. He suffered Myocardial Infarction (MI) while doing treadmill in the morning. He felt dizziness and discomfort and contacted the hospital. He was rushed in immediately which helped a lot in his treatment," the official told the media.

Wife Dona Ganguly and elder brother Snehasis were at the hospital. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar also visited Ganguly at the hospital. Dhankhar told the media that Ganguly appeared cheerful. Doctors' team includes Dr SB Roy, Dr Aftab Khan, Dr Soutik Panda and Dr Bhabotosh Biswas.

Later, in the evening Union Home minister Amit Shah spoke to Dona and enquired about the health of the former opener.

Earlier, state ministers Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas also visited the hospital to check on his health.

Following the news of his hospitalisation, wishes of speedy recovery poured in from the entire cricket fraternity including Indian captain Virat Kohli.

"Just got to know about your ailment Sourav. Hope each passing day brings you closer to a full and speedy recovery! Get well soon," legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar tweeted.

The former Indian captain also received warm recovery wishes from his friends and former teammates Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, Irfan Pathan, among others. Pakistan bowling coach and former fast bowler Waqar Younis, too, has extended his wishes to Ganguly.