The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, October 10, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

PM admitted to Breach Candy
From V. Gangadhar

MUMBAI, Oct 9 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, arrived in Mumbai this afternoon by a special Indian Air Force plane. He will undergo a knee transplant surgery at the Breach Candy Hospital tomorrow. Mr Vajpayee was accompanied by members of his family and the National Security adviser, Mr Brajesh Mishra. The convoy included 13 cars and two ambulances.

The Prime Minister was received at the airport by the Maharashtra Governor, Mr P.C. Alexander, the Chief Minister, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, and members of his Cabinet. Immediately on landing in Mumbai, the Prime Minister arrived at the Breach Candy Hospital at 4.05 p.m., which will be his home for the next five days, and admitted.

While the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, is expected to arrive later in the night, the US-based surgeon, Dr Chittranjan Ranawat, who is to operate on the Prime Minister flew into Mumbai from Delhi around 1.30 p.m. The surgeon’s baggage was misplaced and it took airport authorities more than hour to trace it. The doctor, obviously, was not pleased at the unwarranted delay.

Meanwhile, the Breach Candy Hospital located on the posh Warden road will be more than a hospital for the next few days. It will be the nerve centre of the Government of India.

Security, administrative and medical arrangements were almost complete at the hospital. The Special Protection Group (SPG) had already taken their positions in and around the hospital. The Indian Navy was all set to patrol the sea front in Mumbai.

The Prime Minister and his group will be occupying the entire seventh floor of the hospital. All 14 rooms on the floor had been declared inaccessible to outsiders. The entire seventh floor had been spruced up and painted pale pink. Not taking any chances, the hospital had installed a special ICU on the seventh floor.

Who will attend on the Prime Minister? That is still a mystery, though the nurses and attendants were excited at the prospect at this welcome duty. It was presumed that the most efficient and the presentable hospital staff would be on duty.

Hospital authorities had assured that normal activities would be undisturbed. Visitors could come and leave during the scheduled visiting hours. But anyone entering the hospital during the five days would have to undergo special security checks.

For the duration of the Prime Minister’s stay in Mumbai, his office will function mostly from ‘Sahyadri’, the state government’s posh guest house and the seventh floor of the hospital. Furniture, communication facilities, computers and other paraphernalia had already been installed at these two venues. Mr Advani and the Minister for Information Technology, Mr Pramod Mahajan, were expected to be in attendance at the hospital. Mr Mahajan would be briefing the media periodically, giving out medical bulletins just before and after the surgery and on the progress of the Prime Minister.

NEW DELHI (PTI): Senior Cabinet colleagues and a large number of well-wishers on Monday called on the Prime Minister and wished him speedy recovery after his knee-replacement surgery.

Union Ministers Murli Manohar Joshi and Rajnath Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Delhi’s Lt-Governor Vijai Kapoor and several mps visited the Prime Minister’s 7, Race Course residence before Mr Vajpayee’s departure for Mumbai.

A group of orphaned children being looked after by an NGO ‘Prayas’ also met him.

Meanwhile, Dr Ranawat also reviewed the arrangements and the facilities at the hospital. He comes to Mumbai once in a year and performs surgeries for a week. “He (Dr Ranawat) is comfortable with the doctors at the hospital”, sources said.