Marginal improvement in Tarun Gogoi's condition: Doctors

The health condition of former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi improved marginally on Sunday and he is currently semi-conscious, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital Superintendent Abhijit Sarma said.

During the day, doctors completed the first round of dialysis to improve his kidney function and normalise his urine output, the GMCH superintendent told reporters.

"Our nephrologists suggested dialysis to bring down his potassium level. Dialysis has started and we will see if his urine output becomes normal," he added.

Earlier in the day, Sarma said that as he is on inotropic support, the doctors had kept dialysis as the last resort to normalise urine output.

The 84-year-old Congress leader was admitted to GMCH on November 2 due to post-COVID complications and was on non-invasive ventilation. He was put under invasive ventilation on Saturday night when his condition deteriorated.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday wished him a speedy recovery and took an update of his health condition from the hospital authorities.

Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state cabinet ministers and Asom Gana Parishad leaders Atul Bora and Keshab Mahanta, BJP leader Ramen Deka and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal are among those from other parties who visited the facility to enquire about his health.

His son and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi rushed to the hospital along with Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua on Saturday night. Gogoi's daughter and daughter-in-law visited the hospital on Sunday.

A host of MPs, MLAs and other senior leaders of the Congress are camping at the hospital since Saturday night.

His supporters are praying for him in temples, mosques and other places of worship across the state.

On Sunday morning, the GMCH superintendent said that doctors repeated all clinical tests and his vital health parameters showed marginal improvement compared to that of Saturday.

"He is semi-conscious now. We had said last night that 48 hours were very critical for him. Twenty four hours have passed and there is no deterioration in his health condition. That is the most important thing," he stated.

Gogoi's pulse rate and blood pressure are under check, and his oxygen saturation level is 95-97 per cent, Sarma said.

"The only worry is the urine output, which is around 100-120 ml in 24 hours," he said in the morning.

The three-time chief minister spontaneously opened his eyes and looked around in the morning, the GMCH superintendent said.

"There was slight movement, which we call moto movement. This is a good sign. Technically speaking, although he is critical, he is stable haemodynamically.

"We are constantly in touch with doctors from AIIMS. They are satisfied with the treatment protocol and we will continue with that," he stated.

The Congress politician's health condition deteriorated on Saturday afternoon following multi-organ failure and he became unconscious with difficulty in breathing.

On October 25, the former chief minister, who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 and other post-recovery complications, was discharged from GMCH after two months.

Gogoi had tested positive for COVID-19 on August 25 and was admitted to the GMCH the next day.

His health condition was being monitored by a nine-member committee of doctors, led by the head of pulmonary medicine Dr Jogesh Sarma, which was formed by the state government after he tested positive for COVID-19.

After his discharge from hospital last month, Gogoi continued to remain under observation of the doctors' team at his residence.

In the days before he tested positive for COVID-19, Gogoi was at the forefront of the Congress initiative to form a 'Grand Alliance' comprising all the opposition parties for the 2021 assembly polls and he was holding meetings with all various leaders.