Soumitra Chatterjee put on ventilator

Soumitra Chatterjee

Soumitra Chatterjee
File Photo

Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee has been put on ventilation as his condition worsened further on Monday, said physicians of a Kolkata hospital.

Physicians said his kidneys started malfunctioning, reports news agency UNB quoting Indian news outlet The Hindustan Times.

The octogenarian actor was hospitalised since being infected with COVID-19 on 6 October.

“His health has deteriorated. We have given him ventilation support. The gastrointestinal bleeding, though we managed to stop it, has had some repercussions on the rest of the body. His platelet count was pretty low. The bleeding, the medication and dehydration have taken a toll on his kidney functions, as a result of which his urea creatinine levels have gone up while his urine output is not satisfactory,” Arindam Kar, who is leading a team of physicians treating the thespian, told media persons late Monday night.

He is best known for his collaboration with Oscar-winner Satyajit Ray and the Feluda series.

“We are trying to get him better than what he is now. But the challenges are very steep. Time and again new issues are cropping up because of his age, comorbidities and repercussions of so much medication,” stated the last medical bulletin issued late Monday night.

Millions of people in Bengal and beyond have been praying for Chatterjee’s recovery ever since he was admitted.