DMK chief Karunanidhi’s health declines, says Chennai hospital

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s health condition has declined, the hospital treating him in Chennai said on Monday, adding that maintaining his vital organ functions continued to be a challenge due to his age.

The DMK chief’s response to “medical interventions over the next 24 hours” will determine his prognosis”, Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, executive director, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai said in a health bulletin.

Karunanidhi, 94, was shifted to the hospital on July 28 after being treated at his home in Chennai’s Gopalapuram for fever and urinary tract infection.

According to Kauvery hospital sources, Karunanidhi’s pulse and blood pressure, which touched critical levels at the time of admission, had witnessed improvement, but slipped by Monday noon.

Watch: Rahul Gandhi meets M Karunanidhi

There are infections in the chest region and this also poses the complication for the medical team treating him in the intensive care unit, the sources told HT.

More than 2,000 DMK workers lined up outside the hospital and chanted slogans in praise of the veteran Tamil Nadu leader. However, the late evening news brought them to tears.

All senior DMK leaders, including party general secretary K Anbhazhagan, working president M K Stalin and DMK legislators rushed to the hospital.

Karunanidhi’s elder son M K Azhagiri and his half-sister Kanimozhi also stayed in the hospital till late night.

Traffic diversions were imposed in parts of central Chennai as party cadres and public started thronging the hospital.

President Ram Nath Kovind, vice-president Venkaiah Naidu, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, actor- politicians Kamal Haasan and Rajnikanth were among the prominent people who visited the hospital and met Karunanidhi’s family.

First Published: Aug 06, 2018 18:42 IST