M A I N   N E W S

Mahajan on dialysis, remains critical
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, April 24
The condition of BJP General Secretary Pramod Mahajan, who is recovering from gunshot wounds inflicted by his brother, worsened today.

According to information available from Hinduja Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment, Mahajan has been put on dialysis after the functioning of his kidneys turned abnormal.

Mahajan, who underwent a two-hour surgery on last night, continues to remain critical, according to the doctors. “The condition of Mahajan continues to remain critical. He is in the Intensive Care Unit, on ventilator and on medication to support his blood pressure,” Dr Anupam Verma, Director, administration, Hinduja Hospital, said.

Mahajan’s blood pressure continues to be high and efforts are on to bring it under control.

Dr Verma said efforts were on to stabilise Mahajan’s condition before further surgery was attempted on him. At least three bullets were still lodged inside him and efforts to remove them would be made only after Mahajan’s health improved, doctors said.

As of now, the doctors here said Mahajan’s chances of survival were fifty-fifty. Though his relatives insisted that the politician was getting better after he acknowledged their presence, doctors were still keeping their fingers crossed.

Though the bleeding from his liver has stopped, Mahajan is still suffering from serious pancreatic and hepatitic injuries. Experts from abroad have already come to examine Mahajan. Today, the Vice-President of Australian College of Surgery Steven Dean, who is an expert in trauma care, visited Mahajan as soon as he arrived in Mumbai.

Dean visited Mahajan on a request by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Meanwhile, doctors here said there was no need for Mahajan to undergo a liver transplant. Experts like Mohammad Rela, who specializes in liver transplant, felt that the damaged portion of Mahajan’s liver would grow back once the injuries healed.

Meanwhile, the authorities at Hinduja Hospital have asked members of the Mahajan family and senior BJP leaders to stop visitors to the ICU where the BJP leader is lodged. The doctors here felt that the constant arrival of visitors could result in the patient contracting some infection.

Former Health Minister and BJP leader Dr Harshvardhan told reporters that Mahajan should not be unnecessarily exposed to visitors.

Police officials, who are questioning Pravin Mahajan, said here today that he had planned the attack for nearly a month.

Pravin had planned to kill Pramod Mahajan three weeks ago over deep personal animosities with his brother.

The police said Pravin was upset at being ignored by his more famous sibling. Though Pramod had helped his brother in several businesses, none of these ventures were successful and Pravin was perpetually in debt.

Police said Pravin was upset at several close associates of Pramod Mahajan making money and held a grudge against his brother.

Police said Pravin Mahajan had not shown any remorse over shooting his brother.