Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s health improves, moved to non-invasive ventilation

Kolkata: Former Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has shown significant improvement in his health and has been shifted to non-invasive ventilation.

He was admitted to a private hospital last Saturday due to breathing difficulties. Earlier, the 79-year-old Bhattacharjee was under invasive ventilation where the oxygen supply was through an endotracheal airway.

“Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was successfully weaned off from invasive ventilation and is currently maintaining oxygen saturation on non-invasive ventilatory support. Relevant conservative medical management is being continued. His overall clinical status remains haemodynamically stable,” reads a medical bulletin issued by the hospital.

Bhattacharjee was learnt to have insisted on his returning home and urged the doctors to release him. Since his health condition has improved significantly, the medical team will soon decide on discharging him.

The veteran leader was having lower respiratory tract infection and Type II respiratory failure, the bulletin added.

On Saturday, his oxygen saturation had deteriorated to 70 per cent in the afternoon and he became unconscious. He has been suffering from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and other old age-related ailments for quite some time. Bhattacharjee’s recovery has been steady and encouraging and he has been responding well to the treatment and has remained conscious throughout, doctors said.