Milkha Singh admitted to hospital again due to 'dipping levels of oxygen'

Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh, who recently contracted infection, was on Thursday admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in Chandigarh due to “dipping levels of oxygen” but he is in “stable” condition, the hospital said.

The man known as Flying Sikh has been admitted in ICU in COVID hospital of Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research due to dipping levels of oxygen, a statement issued by the institution said adding that the 91-year-old has been kept under observation and is stable now.

Earlier on Sunday, Milkha Singh was discharged from a private hospital in Mohali where he received treatment for infection. He, however, continued to be on oxygen support at home also.

A statement issued by Fortis hospital in Mohali, where he was earlier admitted, had said that the legend was discharged in a stable condition on the request of his family.

Milkha’s 82-year-old wife Nirmal Kaur, who had also contracted days after her husband got the infection, continues to be in the ICU of the Fortis hospital with fluctuating oxygen requirements, a medical bulletin issued by Fortis on Thursday said.

Hospital had earlier said that the couple were being treated for pneumonia.

The couple’s son and ace golfer Jeev had earlier flown down to Chandigarh from Dubai while his elder sister, Mona Milkha Singh, who is a physician in the United States, had also reached here after their parents contracted the infection.

The legendary athlete is a four-time Asian Games gold medallist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion but his greatest performance was the fourth-place finish in the 400m final at the 1960 Rome Olympics. His timing at the Italian capital remained the national record for 38 years till Paramjeet Singh broke it in 1998. He also represented India in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics and was bestowed the Padma Shri in 1959.