Soumitra Chatterjee Put on Ventilator Support, Condition Worsens

Legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee was put on ventilator support as his condition deteriorated further on Monday evening, the doctors said.

His health declined further late in the evening, and oxygen support was less than 40%, said the spokesperson of the private hospital in Kolkata, where the actor has been admitted.

The 85-year-old haemoglobin actor has gone down like his platelet count, the spokesperson added.

“We had to protect his airways. At 3 pm, we put him on ventilation support. His oxygen support is less than 40 percent, and there were increasing chances of aspiration and secondary pneumonia. He is not that well. His health condition has definitely deteriorated. The medical board took a unanimous decision to protect his airway, and we did it by putting him on endotracheal intubation,” the spokesperson said in a late-night audio statement.

According to doctors, endotracheal intubation is a medical procedure in which a tube is placed into the windpipe through the mouth or nose.

The spokesperson said, “Due to gastrointestinal bleeding and dehydration, his kidney functions which were fine till morning are now taking a toll. His urea and creatinine are also not good. His urine output is also not satisfactory.”

Soumitra Chatterjee was admitted to the hospital on October 6 after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Soumitra, the recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, and the first Indian film personality to be awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France's highest civil award, had been tested negative for an infection last week after being moved to a non-COVID ITU.