Former Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s condition improves

KOLKATA: Former Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s condition has considerably improved, according to doctors at Woodlands Hospital. Admitted with severe breathing distress on Wednesday, the 76-year-old is now “conscious, alert and has been communicating verbally”. On Saturday, Bhattacharjee had a cup of tea in the afternoon and soup for dinner. On Friday, he was taken off invasive ventilation and has since been on BiPAP support.His vital parameters — blood pressure, oxygen saturation rate and pulse rate — are normal. The CPM veteran is on antibiotics and steroids. He is still being fed through a Ryle’s tube, though, since he is not yet in a state to orally consume enough for his nutrition requirement, said doctors. He is being treated by a five-member medical team comprising pulmonologist Kaushik Chakraborty, critical care expert Soutik Panda, cardiologist Saroj Mondal, pulmonologist Ankan Bandopadhyay and anaesthesiologist Asis Patra.