Vij complains of respiratory issues, admitted to PGIMER

“He came to PGI around 4:30 pm with some respiratory issues. He is under supervision of doctors in the department of pulmonary medicine,” said sources in the premier institute. Later in the evening, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar went to the PGIMER to enquire after him.

Even on Friday, Vij, 65, could not attend the Assembly session because of health issues. A Haryana government spokesperson said: “Vij was experiencing difficulty in breathing on Friday and his oxygen level was also running low due to which he wasn’t able to attend the first day of Vidhan Sabha monsoon session.”

“This is for the first time in six terms of my Assembly membership that I could not attend the House session,” Vij said.

Last year, the minister had got one shot of the two-dose trial of the Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin. He had offered to be the first volunteer in the phase three trials for Covaxin, an indigenous vaccine being developed by Bharat Biotech.

Before he could receive the second dose, he was tested positive for Covid-19 and was
hospitalised for nearly a month.

Sources in Haryana health department said that “some health issues have emerged after he travelled in a chopper recently where the low air pressure due to high altitude had deteriorated his condition”. Last week, the home minister had gone to Rohtak to attend the cremation of the Chief Minister’s younger brother and had returned with the CM in a chopper.

The doctors have observed fluctuation in his oxygen level and suspect infection in his chest. Dr Dhruv Chaudhary, who is head of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Rohtak’s PGIMS, Sunday
morning suggested the minister should take admission to Chandigarh’s PGIMER “for a detailed evaluation because of his persistent low oxygen level”.