Soumitra's condition deteriorates, put on ventilator support

Kolkata: The health condition of legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee deteriorated further on Tuesday morning and he has currently been put on ventilator support. His kidneys are not functioning well.

According to the hospital sources, efforts are being made to boost his platelet count. The doctors at the medical board, constituted for Chatterjee's treatment, were planning for renal replacement therapy support. The actor's creatinine and urea levels have been on the rise since Monday. The 85-year-old thespian has been suffering from secondary pneumonia and is in the hospital for 22 days.

"Chatterjee's kidneys are not functioning well. The urea and creatinine levels have been on the rise. His overall condition has worsened. He is definitely critical but we have managed to stabilise his condition a bit. He is barely conscious. He is being treated for dehydration," a senior doctor from the medical board said.

He also mentioned that nephrologists are considering if renal replacement therapy can be provided. "He is on a ventilator. His saturation is more than 95 per cent with basic oxygen support. His platelet count has not gone down from what it was on Monday. Medicines have been applied to increase the count. We are planning a blood transfusion to improve his condition," the doctor stated further.

Chatterjee was put on a ventilator with endotracheal intubation on Monday evening to protect his airways — a procedure in which a tube is placed into the windpipe through the mouth or nose.

"Our top priority would be to deal with the complications, correcting the infections, restoring renal function, preventing the deterioration of other organs and taking Chatterjee out of ventilation support. We have to make sure that the functioning of organs is restored," a senior doctor said.