Kalmadi diagnosed with dementia

Dizziness, depression and anxiety. These are some of the health issues sacked Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi complained of when he approached prison officials in Tihar jail.

Kalmadi is lodged in Tihar jail for more than two months in connection with the multi-crore CWG scam. 

The 66-year-old Member of Parliament from Pune was taken to a state hospital on the basis of these symptoms and after a preliminary observation has been diagnosed with dementia, a disease related to memory loss, impaired reasoning and personality changes.

Sources said that another state hospital also confirmed that Kalmadi suffered from dementia.

According to highly placed sources, Kalmadi first approached Tihar prison officials earlier last week with complaints of dizziness, depression and anxiety. On the advice of a jail doctor, a city court directed the prison authorities on July 16 to get him checked at the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya hospital, where Tihar inmates are sent for medical examination. The MP had requested permission from the court to get a test done from a private hospital, which was turned down.

"After DDU hospital authorities said they don't have the required facilities available to conduct tests on Kalmadi, authorities at Lok Narayan Jai Prakash Hospital and All India Institute of Medical Sciences were consulted. He was escorted in a police van for a MRI scan on Thursday to LNJP. The preliminary report suggested that he suffers from dementia," a top Tihar jail source said.

Doctors at LNJP did not speak much on the issue, saying that they have submitted the report to jail officials.

"A MRI scan was conducted at the radiotherapy department of LNJP Hospital. In our report, we have mentioned that several other tests need to be conducted before more details regarding the stage of the disease and extent of the disorder can emerge. But, yes, a preliminary examination has revealed he suffers from the dementia," a senior doctor at the hospital confirmed.

Tihar Deputy Inspector General R N Sharma said that the check up was not limited to his mental health alone. "It was a routine medical check up. He suffers from many ailments, according to his medical records submitted by his family. Dementia at a preliminary stage was also mentioned," Sharma told rediff.com.

Sources also said that Kalmadi was again taken to DDU hospital on Saturday after he complained of dizziness. "His medical reports are being scrutinised by a team of doctors at DDU hospital. On the basis of court orders, further tests will be conducted," they added.

Kalmadi and Tihar jail authorities had recently run into controversy, after an inspecting trial court judge found that the disgraced Congress leader was being entertained with tea and snacks in the jail superintendent's office. Four Tihar jail officials were suspended following the discovery.