Former President Pranab Mukherjee’s health has worsened due to a lung infection, the hospital where the Congress leader has been admitted said on Monday, NDTV reported. Mukherjee has been in a coma since a brain surgery earlier in August.
“There is a decline in the medical condition of Pranab Mukherjee since yesterday [Sunday],” the Army Research and Referral Hospital said. “He is in septic shock due to his lung infection and is being managed by team of specialists. He continues to be in deep coma and on ventilator support.”
On August 19, the hospital had said the former president had signs of lung infection. Mukherjee, 84, was admitted to the hospital on August 10 for an operation to remove a clot in his brain and has been comatose since then. He had also tested positive for the coronavirus on the same day.
After testing positive, Pranab Mukherjee had on August 10 advised all those who had come in contact with him to isolate themselves. Politicians cutting across party lines had then wished him a speedy recovery. Defence Rajnath Singh had visited him at the hospital on the same day.
Mukherjee was the 13th President of India, from 2012 to 2017. Last year, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.
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