25 Jan :Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who underwent a successful coronary by-pass surgery to overcome multiple blockages to his heart, is "doing fine" and has been taken off the ventilator.
The 76-year-old Prime Minister "is doing fine now. He is conscious. He also met his family and congratulated all doctors," Dr Ramakant Panda, a specialist of Mumbai’s Asian Heart Institute, who led the team of doctors during the surgery, said.Satisfied with Dr Singh’s "improving condition", the doctors have also withdrawn ventilator, he said.
"Ventilator has been taken off and he is breathing on his own. This is an important step," Panda said.Addressing a press conference last night, Dr Panda said, "He is conscious, responding and is very stable. He would be more active now than before the five grafts."
Dr K S Reddy, the Prime Minister’s personal physician, said they expected the Prime Minister to attend to some of the official duties after two weeks, most of his official duties after four weeks and be fully active and functional by six weeks or even before. "He will be more active now".
One reason why the Prime Minister opted for an immediate surgery was he wanted to be ready and fully active well before the elections, Dr Sampath Kumar, Head of the Cardio Vascular Department at the AIIMS said.
Replying to a question, Dr Panda said that there was no setback on the operation table and since it was a second by-pass, the surgery took so long. There were no complications.
The Prime Minister will be in the ICU for three days and spend a total of seven to eight days in the hospital.Describing Dr Singh as a "tranquil, calm and composed" person, Reddy said the Prime Minister told the doctors before he was wheeled in "I am ready".