The condition of Sri Sathya Sai Baba
turned critical on Monday evening as some of his vital systems were
not ‘adequately responding' to treatment.
A bulletin issued by A.N. Safaya,
Director, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (SSSIHMS)
at Prasanthigram near Puttaparthi, said the 85-year-old Sai Baba
continued to be on ventilator support for helping his
respiration and suction of secretion from the lungs.
“He continues to be on CRRT
[continuous renal replacement therapy] system to help the
functioning of the kidneys. The vital systems are not adequately
responding. The condition of the Baba is critical.”
The latest
medical bulletin released at 10.30 p.m. stated that the
condition of Baba's vital organs showed further deterioration.
A panel of doctors attending on him
was doing its best to make the systems respond.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba was admitted to
the superspeciality hospital on March 28 following complaints of
chest and lung congestion. He initially responded to treatment
but his condition began deteriorating on April 1.
Andhra Pradesh Minister for Major
Industries J. Geetha Reddy, a devotee of Sai Baba, has been
camping at Puttaparthi from April 2. He was joined by Revenue
Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy on Monday. The State government
despatched a team of five doctors from Hyderabad to assist the
SSSIHMS doctors, but all of them except a physician have
returned.
P.V. Ramesh, Principal Secretary,
Health, told The Hindu that Sai Baba was responding to
stimuli and his condition, though critical, was not
irretrievable. His vital organs were placed on support systems —
the heart on a pacemaker, the lungs on a respirator and the
kidneys on renal replacement therapy. “We have not given up hope
yet,” said Dr. Ramesh.
Mr. Raghuveera Reddy, who returned
here from Puttaparthi, said Sai Baba was responding by blinking
his eyes when his name was called. Every thing depended on how
he responded to the support systems.
Meanwhile, in Puttaparthi, hundreds
of devotees thronged the hospital anxious to know about Sai
Baba's condition. Police were deployed in good numbers as the
devotees staged a protest alleging that hospital authorities
were keeping them in the dark.