Karunakaran discharged from CMC hospital

Vellore, Oct 16 (UNI) The former Chief Minister of Kerala and veteran Congress leader K Karunakaran was today discharged from the Vellore Christian Medical College Hospital and will leave for Thiruvananthapuram by evening train from Chennai.

Talking to newspersons here, Lionel Gnanaraj, medical superintendent said Mr Karunakaran was now able to walk and speak.

The subdural haematoma had reduced through medication.

Dr Gnanaraj said a 12-member team led by Mathew Alexander had put Mr Karunakaran on physiotherapy to improve mobility and was under the care of the departments of neurosurgery, physiotherapy and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Mr Karunakaran's personal physician, who was with him during the treatment here, would accompany him to Thiruvananthapuram, where he would require physiotherapy and follow-up by a neurologist at home, he added.

He said Mr Karunakaran had developed pneumonia during the course of the tournament and was treated with antibiotics. ''We are happy in discharging him,'' he added.

Mr Karunakaran's son K Muralidharan, and former Kerala Minister, his daughter Padmaja Venugopal and son-in-law and doctor Venugopal took care of him in the hospital.

It may be recalled that Mr Karunakaran was admitted to the hospital here on September 1 in an unconscious state suffering from subdural haematoma.

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