Former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee discharged from hospital

Kolkata, December 15 

Former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was discharged from hospital on Tuesday, nearly a week after being admitted for breathing troubles.

Bhattacharjee, however, will have to remain on non-invasive ventilation (BIPAP) support, undergo physiotherapy and follow restrictions on movement at home, besides sticking to a prescribed diet, doctors said.

The veteran communist leader was admitted to a private hospital on December 9 and put on mechanical ventilator support at its critical care unit, after his breathing-related problems aggravated.

The 76-year-old former chief minister’s health parameters improved subsequently, following which doctors took the call to discharge him on Tuesday.

A senior hospital official said a makeshift ICU has been set up at his home, where a critical care expert and medicine specialist will monitor his health.

Bhattacharjee, the chief minister of West Bengal from 2000 to 2011, has been suffering from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and other old age-related ailments for some time.

He has been away from public life for the past few years due to his health. —PTI