VAJPAYEE’S HEALTH IMPROVES, AIIMS DOCS EXPECT FULL RECOVERY SOON

NEW DELHI : Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s health has improved significantly and his vital functions are normal, doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Wednesday, two days after the 93-year-old statesman was hospitalised for treatment of a urinary tract infection.

“We are hoping for a full recovery in the next few days as his infection is under control,” said Dr Randeep Guleria, AIIMS director, who is heading a team of five doctors attending on Vajpayee.

Vajpayee was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and chest congestion after he was rushed to AIIMS for a medical evaluation on Monday. Doctors monitoring his health detected low urine output, which is indicative of impaired kidney functions. Vajpayee was put on a regimen of injectable antibiotics and made to undergo slow dialysis, a procedure in which toxins are artificially removed from the blood of a patient with acute kidney infection to give the organ a chance to recuperate.

“He has shown significant improvement and his kidney functions have improved with good urine output. His vital parameters – blood pressure, heart rate and breathing – are also normal,” a hospital statement said. AIIMS had reported on Tuesday that the former prime minister was responding well to treatment.