Jyoti Basu continues to be critical

Kolkata, Jan 14 (ANI): Former West Bengal Chief Minister and senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Jyoti Basu showed slight improvement in his health condition on Thursday morning, but the doctors attending him said he continues to be critical and is on partial ventilation.

Basu's personal physician, A K Maity, who is on the medical board treating the leader, told the media that Basu's sensory apparatus is better now.

AMRI Hospital Superintendent Debashis Sharma said, the medical board would later today decide on the need to do a tracheotomy, a surgical incision of the trachea through the neck to make an artificial opening for breathing.

There are reports that Basu is being given blood pressure stabilising drugs Inotrope.

Sharma further said, "The two units of blood given to Basu had taken his haemoglobin level to near normal at ten. The blood transfusion was given after his haemoglobin level decreased to 8."

Basu did not have fever and his urine output was satisfactory, said Sharma adding that the veteran leader is being fed through Ryles tube.asu's lung congestion has reduced and his pulse rate and blood pressure is reported to be stable.

The veteran leader was admitted to the AMRI hospital in Salt Lake here on Friday (January 1) following a severe chest infection.

The doctors after conducting a proper check-up had earlier detected that he was suffering from slight pneumonia.

Earlier in July 2009, Basu was admitted to the hospital complaining of discomfort in the abdomen and a disturbed sleep. (ANI)