PM to undergo bypass on Jan 24; Pranab to officiate

New Delhi, Jan 23: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will undergo a bypass likely in the next 24 hours. The PM will officiate the Republic Day parade. The surgery will be done by a team of doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mumbai and US. The doctors took this decision when PM's health deteriorated on Friday, Jan 23 morning.

The nature and timing of surgery is yet to be decided by the team of doctors who are closely studying PM's case. The possible dates are Feb 3, 4 and 5. Sources say that PM must take a complete bed rest of two weeks after surgery.

External affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee is likely to officiate PM's absence.

Earlier this week, the PM underwent extensive medical tests at the AIIMS.

An official PMO statement on Wednesday said the PM had undergone "diagnostic evaluation" and "treatment procedures which have been recommended would be undertaken in a few days". It was said on Tuesday that Singh was being given an overall medical check-up.

Doctors attending made it clear that he did not face any medical emergency. They said he was stable and did not face any physical discomfort during the tests. The doctors who conducted angiography - X-ray examination of the blood vessels or chambers of the heart through a small tube inserted into a blood vessel - on Singh also carried out multiple blood chemistry tests, CT scan and ECG. These tests are understood to have revealed arterial blockages in the heart.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)